The Only Way
by Clara Bright
Summary: SwanQueen FTL AU: Unable to bear life as a prisoner in her own castle, a young Queen Regina flees to the Enchanted Forest in the hope of an escape. However, she soon finds her in the debt of thief and outlaw, Emma Swan, who offers her a way out of the kingdom if she accompanies her on a quest to get back what was taken from her. Neither planned on things getting complicated...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is my first shot at SwanQueen, which is vastly overdue as one of my OTPs, and will hopefully do these wonderful ladies justice! This will be a multi-chapter fic, and I already have a number of future chapters written and a definite direction in which I hope to take it. It is AU, as unfortunately SwanQueen isn't canon, but I've tried to stay true to the characters. It is set back when Regina was the young queen, before she killed Leopold and while she was having magic lessons from Rumpelstiltskin. It shall go off at a tangent and create an entirely new story. There was no feasible way of making Emma's parents Snow and Charming, as both would still be children, so I apologise for that.**

**Please review; constructive criticism or praise is always appreciated and will keep me motivated to update regularly.**

**Chapter 1:**

That was it. The final straw. She was not going to take any more of it.

She didn't think about what she was doing or where she was going, just that she had to escape. Even as the land opened up, warping from the oppressive stonewalls of the palace to the expansive fields that splayed across the kingdom, she didn't slow. In hindsight, she should have taken a horse, or at least some fundamental belongings, but she was muddled and angry and could focus on nothing more than the uneven ground beneath her as she streamed away from her luxurious prison.

Tears of fury stung soft cheeks and were brushed away irritably as she hiked her skirt up higher to avoid the vegetation grabbing onto it. The woods loomed in front of her, dense trees slightly threatening, yet they welcomed her as she approached, running until her lungs burned and her muscles ached. She suspected she would have been able to run a lot more successfully had her mother not deemed it unladylike from a young age. There was something wonderfully liberating about the wind teasing her hair loose of regal restraints.

Her footfalls fell on softer terrain as hard turf turned to a carpet of leaves. The sky became quickly obscured by the canopy of thick branches overhead but she didn't slow. She ran, agility of youth on her side as she ducked under tree limbs and hopped over rocks. She ran until her legs screamed and her eyes ran and her corset dug in and her lungs heaved in each breath. She ran until she couldn't run any further, any faster, any longer.

Doubling over, she dragged in deep breaths, rubbing the raw skin under the whalebone of her corset. Her hair fell loose over her shoulders in ebony tangles and tear-stained cheeks were red with the cold. As she slumped onto a boulder, she let herself cry. Sobs of self-pity ripped through her, hysterical in the strange environment. She was lost, distraught, totally unprepared and, despite her status, completely vulnerable. She had no plan, no supplies, no idea where she was or what she intended to do, she was just relieved to be free of that place and that man and that insufferable brat. She was finished with that life, she didn't know what else she could have, but she would do anything at that point to never go back. She sobbed into dainty, unmarred hands, trying to stifle the sound on realizing she would be drawing unwanted attention to herself in this worryingly silent forest.

Trembling in the chilly air, she wrapped her arms round her slender frame, gasping as she tried to calm her juddering heart. Weakness. She could hear the icy voice hissing in her ear. She was done with him as well, although that would be the hardest thing to avoid. She felt his grip on her even now. She doubted she would ever be rid of him; that's not how he functioned.

Wiping red eyes dry, she took a deep breath in to calm herself and looked around. She was deep in the forest, far from any path she'd ever travelled along. There was hardly any noise, just the rustle of leaves overhead. She felt alone, but wasn't comforted by the solitude as she had expected to be. As the adrenaline wore off and her energy slipped away, she had to fight back more tears at the hopelessness of her situation.

She had just snapped, the pressure had worn her down until she couldn't cope any more. She had put up with her husband for seven years now, obediently sitting at his side and lying in his bed day in day out, enduring that vile daughter of his as she grew into a young woman, detesting her more and more each day, abhorring every second her heart beat inside her snow-white chest. She had made public appearances, fulfilled her duties, been primped and pinched from every angle to make sure she was perfect in every way, pushed down the darkness, stifled the evil, and it had taken its toll. She had started contacting _him _out of sheer desperation and she felt it had been, as everything else she'd ever done, a grave mistake. She could not deny the unadulterated bliss of feeling pure power sizzling through her, venting her pent up rage on whatever unfortunate animal happened to be passing. As each lesson passed, she grew stronger. She was far off the heights he wanted her to achieve, but she could cause a sizeable amount of damage when provoked. He said she had always had it in her, she had feared admitting it to anyone that perhaps he was right.

And now look where she was. She had fled from the palace without a passing thought to what her next move should be, she had just known she'd had to get out, and the only way she could escape was to run away when their backs were turned. She was defenseless and clueless in the Enchanted Forest, a sitting duck, and even if she wasn't attacked by anything, she had no possessions, no money, no food, not even a change of clothes and the ornate gown she wore was now slightly torn and stained around the hem, and hardly practical for gallivanting round in the woods. She cursed her random surge of emotions and complete lack of forethought. What was she going to do now?

She stood up and brushed off her crimson skirt. She briefly turned back the way she came, before deciding that starving or being mauled to death in the Enchanted Forest was still preferable to another second back there in that beautiful prison. Perhaps her tragic death would finally convey the message to her mother that the only way she could ever be happy with this situation was if she were dead. Not that Cora would care, she'd probably resurrect her just to punish her for demolishing her tie to royalty.

No, the only way was forward, away from the last five years of wasted youth, away from oppression and everyone's attempts at harnessing her strength to use as their own. Onward was her only option. She sighed heavily, hopefully she'd just wander until she collapsed from exhaustion, or until she reached a path she recognized and could escape this kingdom for good. She never wanted to set foot in it again if she managed to leave.

So she pushed her hair irritably over her shoulders as continued picking her way through the undergrowth. Every step she took further away from the palace lifted her burden a fraction.

Hours of forcing her way through the forest ensued. Not used to such rigorous exercise after allowing her passion for equestrianism to die due to the pain the stables brought her even now, she tired quickly, but continued on, never one to give up. The woods were cold, her bare arms raised with gooseflesh as the velvet of her gown snagged once more on a thistle patch. It was getting dark, and she was violently hungry, being accustomed to three large meals a day. She realised that she would have to stop soon before she collapsed through exhaustion but the idea was unappealing and the growing darkness foreboding, so she pressed on.

As her legs gave out and refused to carry her any further, she leant against the trunk of a tree to catch her breath. She was shivering with the cold, still as lost as before, and though her trepidation grew, as determined as she always had been. It was cold, dark, foreign and threatening, and yet she still felt miraculously free, the one light in the blanketing blackness.

She tugged in vain at the bodice of her dress, attempting to loosen it and lessen her discomfort, but she could not lace and unlace it on her own, especially not in the dark without a mirror. She had abandoned most of her jewellery, save for a diamond bracelet her father had bought her when she was fifteen and the ring Daniel had given to her on a thin chain round her neck. Typical, she thought, the only hope she had of acquiring help would be to sell what is valuable, and she had brought along nothing but the two possessions she was most emotionally attached to.

As expected, the solitude couldn't last forever, and she was caught by surprise as three horses, without any prior warning, carrying two passengers each burst into the clearing at a gallop. She jolted upright and made the split second decision to hide rather than run which ultimately proved to be the wrong choice, as she was bereft of suitable hiding places. Besides, they had already seen her and as she made to duck behind a tree, one of the people astride a horse swung down and loped towards her.

"Not so fast, sweetheart." He said. He had a surprisingly slick voice, oily and untrustworthy. She froze where she stood.

Never one to be seen as a coward, even when she was clearly at a disadvantage, she turned around to face him. His companions were vaulting off their horses and regrouping behind the one that had addressed her. Five men and a woman; earth-worn and dirty-looking, she felt six pairs of eyes raking over her, but kept her head held high, observing them as though they were mice on the ground below her.

"What is someone like _you_ doin' in our neck o' the woods, eh?" He said with a smirk.

She remained silent, assessing what the best means of escape would be. The saddlebags of the horses were full, something gold glistened within. She suspected a gang of forest thieves, not an uncommon occurrence, but one she had sincerely hoped to avoid.

"I asked you a question." Hissed the man at the front; fair complexion, lanky and tall, and with very few teeth. She said nothing.

"Oh, not speakin'? Got somethin' to hide?" Interjected one of the others, gruff-voiced and frankly massive, he lumbered up to join his friend at the front of the group. He had no hair and, by the looks of it, only seven fingers.

As they converged only a few paces in front of her, she realised that this situation could get nasty very quickly, so would comply.

"No. I have nothing to hide. I was walking and then got lost, that is all."

"Ooh, we've got a posh 'un here!" Cackled the woman from the back, bedraggled and slightly stooped, but not particularly old.

"Yeah, look at her dress, some pretty fine material, I'll wager." Added a small man from the back.

"Fancy getup for an evening stroll, my dear." Said the man who'd addressed her first. "You sure you're tellin' the truth?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Well I'm afraid we can't 'ave you wandering around our hideout." He said, a smirk crawling across his face. Her stomach turned, a movement in the trees at the edge of the clearing momentarily caught her eye. The huge man noticed.

"Ay! What you lookin' at? 'Ave you got some little friends out here too?"

"Well we _certainly_ can't 'ave that. It's gotta stay a secret, see."

She wondered if perhaps she could throw them off the trail, so said nothing, knowing they'd take her silence as an affirmative.

"You do! She does! You four, check the area!" The huge man said and the three other men and one woman scampered off to check the surrounding forest.

She stood there, afraid to move and afraid to speak and afraid to show that she was afraid.

"Come out into the clearing. Don't be shy, we ain't gonna hurt ya." Said the lanky one. None of the three people there were fooled by his lie.

She obeyed, mustering as much dignity as she could. She'd rather move herself than have them force her.

The first man circled her slowly, taking in expensive ripped fabric and long, dark, tousled hair.

"Pretty little thing, ain't ya? I ain't seen something so lovely in a long time..." She clenched her jaw. She would normally retaliate for such insolence, but she felt physical exhaustion weighing her down and she stood no chance against the huge man facing her, grinning sickeningly at his friend's comment.

"Bet the dress is worth a fortune…" She forced herself to remain stock-still and suppress the shiver that threatened to rip through her.

Just as it looked like he would follow this statement up with an action, the four others re-entered the clearing. She still didn't move.

"Nothin'" came the result. Great, her opportunity had passed. Well, it had been worth a try.

"So you're alone, are you, sweetheart?" She wished they would stop smirking.

She tensed completely as the small man and bedraggled woman began to inspect her, lifting locks of her hair between gnarled, dirty fingers and running light touches over expensive fabric. The group surrounded her, moving closer and closer. Her heart started pounding, throat closing up as she began to panic. She'd heard that forest dwellers had no morals, but she'd never stopped to think about what she could have been walking straight into. Their proximity made her tremble slightly, eyes darting around, searching wildly for an escape still without saying anything. The brute grabbed her chin and forced her head up to look at him while his lanky friend lifted her arm to inspect the glittering bracelet adorning it. She felt tears behind her eyes, but stubbornly fighting them back, swallowing heavily with fear.

"That's beautiful." He said. "Lovely little trinket. Might 'ave to take that off ya, sweetheart." He made to pull it off her wrist. She snapped out of sheer panic.

"No!" She wrenched her arm away from his grip, anger and surprise flashed across his twisted face. "Please, leave me be. I'll go, I won't come back, just please don't touch me again!" She half begged, half growled.

She heard uneasy shifting around her. The woods were sickeningly silent, the darkness almost entirely cloaking. She wished she had never left. She could be warm and safe, despite the unhappiness she would undoubtedly feel.

The ringleader, as he'd revealed himself to be, wore a frighteningly malicious grin.

"Not playin' nice, are we then?" The others shuffled in anticipation, eyes fixed on the quietly trembling girl who was likely only in her mid-twenties. He grabbed her arm in a bruisingly brutal grip, all but ripped the bracelet off her wrist and raised his other hand, his violent intention startlingly clear.

Then a lot happened in a tiny space of time.

She was no stranger to physical abuse. From a fairly young age her mother had often resorted to beatings to get her to cooperate. She, of course, would never bruise or scar, god forbid her daughter's perfect skin should be soiled, but soon she'd learnt to anticipate what was coming. Delicate-looking as she was, she was _certainly_ not weak, and would not stand still while a bunch of common thieves stripped her of everything she had. She was mentally and physically exhausted, but it seemed she had no other option than what she had tried to avoid doing.

The second his hand came down towards her, she only had a moment to notice something flash out of the corner of her eye from the same spot across the clearing before she allowed the previously restrained rage in her veins to boil and bubble over. She forced it out of her mind, focused on the threatening circle around her and the nauseating wave of anger-fuelled magic swept across the clearing in a haze of green smoke. The six people surrounding her all toppled like felled conifers and remained stiff and unmoving, littering the forest floor around her.

Then the dizziness came, her head swimming as exertion took over and drained her of all energy instantly. She swayed on the spot, focusing on attempting to reach the diamond bracelet still within the ringleader's rigid grasp, but ultimately never made it to reaching down and retrieving it.

She fell like the rest of them, eyes blurring, head pounding. She only just had time to process a figure sliding down from out of a tree across the clearing and approaching stealthily before her body gave up and succumbed to blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has followed this story; it's really encouraging. Updates will probably be frequent until I catch up with myself or have too much work to do, but I'm not going to make a schedule; this is supposed to be fun rather than extra stress.**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER: Probably should have done this before, but I don't own Once Upon A Time. I'm making no profit out of this.**

**Chapter 2**

A nasal buzzing pierced the silence, vibrating the air around her eardrum. She screwed her eyes shut tighter against the sensory invasion, feeling the insect settle briefly on her cheek before taking off again. It was then that she became aware of where she was...so to speak. She was lying on her side on...the ground, judging by the hard surface, but it was covered by something slightly scratchy, and she was cold still, and exhausted, but there was no immediate pain, so hopefully she had managed to escape injury. Her head was still throbbing, blood pounding against her temples. She suddenly remembered what had happened, and felt panic rise again as she realised she had no idea where she was and was still very much defenceless. She had been moved, she was certain of it, but by whom and to where she had no idea.

Warily and painfully slowly, she blinked open lead-heavy eyelids. Night had fallen, she was still in the forest, but a roaring campfire danced a small distance away, warming one side of her body and leaving the rest, still clothed in just her gown, exposed to the chilly air. She was in fact lying in the centre of a small camp, on a coarse blanket, no possessions visible to give her a clue as to her "rescuer" except a small leather satchel lying a few feet away. As the fear set in, she slowly raised herself onto her elbows, surveying her surroundings through firelit darkness. She winced immediately at the wave of dizziness that crushed her.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you..." Said a drawling voice from behind.

Immediately defensive, she turned round to look at the source of the voice. Her hands crackled slightly with magic, what energy she had left channelling into protecting herself. She observed her host through suspicious eyes.

Sitting against a tree trunk, sharpening the end of a stick with a knife, was a woman. She wore natural colours; browns and greens, and controversially, skin-tight trousers rather than a skirt, accompanied by well worn brown leather boots. Blonde hair fell in wild curls over her shoulders, intelligent green eyes fixed on the tip of the sharpened stick as agile hands worked it into a point with ease. She had smooth, wind-worn skin, pale in the amber light, and a hard-angled face, firm brow and set jaw indicating a ferocity and hardness. For someone who one would definitely describe as pretty, she was fairly intimidating.

"Um..." She was slightly lost for words.

"You've been out for a good few hours. Looks like you overstrained yourself. Take it easy, I am _not_ carrying you a step further." Said the stranger, without looking up. Despite her worn and haphazard appearance, she was young, no more than 23, she reckoned.

"You..." She slowly raised herself up until she was sitting, her brain slowly kicking into gear. "You _carried_ me?"

The blonde woman chuckled harshly to herself. "Yep. All the way. Had to stop a few times though, you're no where _near_ as light as you look."

She would have been offended if she hadn't still been so bemused.

"Um...ok...why?"

The woman scoffed and looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time, there wasn't a hint of softness there, just guarded green and vague annoyance. "Oh, by all means, don't mention it. I just saved your hide from being...well...who knows what would've happened if I'd left you there. Not even a word of thanks. Typical." She rolled her eyes and went back to her whittling.

"Excuse me?" Her notorious temper flared up. "What do you mean 'typical'?"

The stranger sighed. "I mean it's all the same with your...class: expect people like me to do _all_ the work without giving us any credit."

"My _class_?!"

"Yes."

"How could you possibly-"

"Oh come on, a frock like that? Might as well wear a sign saying 'filthy rich'. Doesn't take a genius to recognise wealth when you see it."

"You seem to be plenty equipped in the art of recognising an opportunity..." She muttered under her breath.

The woman neither accepted not denied this accusation of criminality. She merely raised an arched eyebrow and cast an incredibly condescending glance in the other woman's direction.

"Shouldn't make it so blindingly obvious then, you're all the same, stupidly flaunting it for the world to see and, in cases such as this, try to take."

She was about to rebut this once more but stopped short as the blonde stopped what she was doing to reach inside the pocket of her trousers. She pulled something out, glinting in the firelight, then tossed it over to her guest. She caught it; her diamond bracelet. It was then that she realised how ungrateful she was being.

She cleared her throat, slipping the elegant piece of jewellery back onto her wrist. "Thank you. For this and for...helping me." She tried to stop herself sounding so reluctant.

The blonde bowed her head, smirking slightly. "You're very welcome."

There was a moment's silence, the brunette attempting to push the creases out of her skirt and the blonde carving away, the end of the stick now dangerously sharp.

"Sorry, I asked before and didn't get an answer...why did you help me?" She asked, still seated on the floor but feeling a lot better.

The woman shrugged. "I was in the trees, tracking those guys. It was my intention to take the stuff they'd stolen, find a time when it would be easiest to just snatch it when they weren't looking, but when they ran into you, well like I said, you screamed wealth. I hung around hoping to get in on what they got out of you as well."

She narrowed her dark eyes at this. She was in the company of yet _another_ thief. Wonderful. "What made you change your mind?"

The blonde put down the now lethally sharp twig and turned to face her company better. She sighed and gave a noncommittal shrug. "I don't know, something about the way you fought back. I've never seen magic that strong before. I reckoned you were a little desperate and in need of some help, especially after you fainted."

The brunette blushed with embarrassment. She did not enjoy exposing her weaknesses to others.

"Who are you?"

The blonde laughed ironically to herself, obviously expecting the question.

"I'm nobody."

"I'd like a name."

"You can't always get what you like."

"Are you hiding something? Because-"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you." She shifted her weight before addressing her again. "Emma. Emma Swan. Outlaw, thief, survivor, criminal, peasant, whatever you want to call me."

The other woman just sat there, processing.

"And who is it that I so gallantly, and if I may add, uncharacteristically, saved then?"

She panicked, this criminal couldn't know her identity. She stammered slightly as she quickly thought up a decent alias.

"And I should warn you now, I have an excellent talent of knowing when people are lying."

She was doubtful of that claim, but since this woman likely lived out here in this isolation, and clearly hadn't recognised her, she decided that instead of lying, she should only tell half the truth.

"Regina." She said. "My name is Regina. And I live outside the forest but got lost and was trying to get back and-"

The thief, Emma Swan, laughed. "Nope. Lies. Tell me the truth."

"I'm not sure I want to..." Growled Regina.

"Well you're in my camp under my protection...all of that could be very...temporary."

Tired of threats, she conceded slightly. "I'm...running from something. I don't know where to yet but I have nothing with me and no idea where I am..."

"Well, you did a pretty good job, you're _really_ far into the Forest, no one will find you here."

Something about the delivery of the statement made her stomach turn. Sure, this woman had saved her, but for what? She was one of _them_. What was to stop her from finishing what the others had started?

"No need to look so alarmed, dear. I know my way around these trees."

Yes, that was _very_ reassuring.

Regina looked down as she twisted her bracelet round a slim wrist. Emma regarded her with curiosity.

"You're probably hungry, right?"

"I'm fine, thank you." She still didn't trust this unusual woman.

Emma laughed. "Ah, lies again. You're _terrible_ at the truth."

Regina glared, Emma laughed again.

"Well it's just as well you're 'fine' seen as we don't have anything to eat any way."

"So why did you ask?"

The blonde woman merely smirked then pulled herself to her feet and walked over to her satchel, reaching inside, pulling out a flask and handing it to Regina. She sniffed uncertainly at the lid, having seen plenty of people swigging a whole manner of damaging concoctions from them in the past, but was relieved to find just water. She took a few delicate sips and thanked the blonde.

"You may as well get some more rest. We won't be going anywhere until the morning."

Regina frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Away from here. If I'm going to help you, we'll both need food first."

Something didn't sit right with her. So she was just supposed to trust this complete stranger who had admitted to being a criminal and who was yet to give her a straight answer to any questions asked? Then again, what choice did she have? Besides, the Swan woman _had_ saved her. Why would she bother if she were just going to rob her and leave her? Regina had a distinct feeling that she wasn't being told the whole truth, but this woman was difficult, one of those people who will tell you nothing but exactly what they want to tell you, she knew that much already. She had no choice but to let things play out; not a situation she liked being in at all, but she was still weak and very much lost. If this woman turned against her, _then_ she would react.

Emma Swan had taken a seat on another blanket that she had stretched out in front of the fire, fully in Regina's view. She reached over under a bush edging the small clearing, rummaging around in the leaves until she pulled out a wooden bow, and once she'd searched again, removed the quiver that accompanied it. Regina wondered why she had hidden her weapon. Perhaps she thought Regina could use it against her. At this point, the blonde was arranging the quiver next to her makeshift bed, loading an arrow into the bow and keeping it close as she glanced around the darkened forest.

Emma lay back on her blanket, making herself comfortable as she swigged from the flask she'd offered Regina earlier. Resting on her elbows, she crossed one leg over the other and sat watching the fire. Regina observed her warily, still feeling very much on edge and definitely not trusting of this woman. Emma remained silent for a minute or so before speaking.

"I'm serious. You're exhausted. You need rest, and staying like that all night isn't going to help."

Regina stayed seated where she was and merely fixed the other woman with a look of such distrust that the blonde shifted where she lounged.

"Look lady, I'm not going to, I don't know, attack you any time soon. I wouldn't have gone through the frankly _huge_ effort of getting you here only to kill you now. However, if you think of trying _anything_ at any time, or if I even _feel_ like you're up to something, I will not hesitate to make sure you're never able to try it again, you hear me?" Regina was not the kind to be easily intimidated, but nodded silently.

The hardness in green eyes dissipated immediately, and the brunette felt slightly relieved at the lapse in tense atmosphere.

Regina slowly, cautiously lay down and stayed stiffly still, staring at the canopy of branches overhead. She was cold and exhausted, aching all over from running all day and summoning the power to protect herself. The small patches of inky sky visible through the trees were clear and speckled with stars, and she prayed it would remain that way; she didn't think she could cope with a sudden downpour of rain.

The fire flickered down to a pile of glowing embers and Regina, still very awake, was conscious that her companion was the same. Emma Swan had her arms crossed behind her head and continued to stare out into the night. The silence was crushing. She was exhausted, but was too on edge to relax. She felt the hours tick by, her stomach complaining due to lack of food for an entire day and she was uncomfortable and wary of what was to come.

After a good few hours of lying in the dark, exhaustion eventually took over, and sleep claimed her unwillingly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Updates are surprisingly prompt at the moment! I have written **_**loads**_** of chapters in advance so I'm certainly not short of material. The story's taking shape, hopefully some of you will get where I'm going with this!**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Once Upon A Time, blah blah blah. Please don't sue me.**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**Chapter 3**

Stretching out stiff limbs, Emma Swan ran a hand through blonde curls and cracked her knuckles. The air was icy and heavy with dew, she could smell moisture; it would likely rain later. She checked her satchel and was pleased to see everything still present. She kicked damp leaves over the remaining embers of the fire to smother it, then turned her attention to the woman on her other blanket.

She was still slightly confused by her companion. She was _exactly_ the kind of person Emma immediately distrusted and actively avoided. She'd been kicked around by her type enough when she was too young to defend herself, and past experiences had ingrained an entrenched hatred for people like her. This process would not be easy, but it was necessary.

She observed her resting. She slept curled in on herself, her body tense, brow furrowed. Her dark hair was pushed out of her face, smooth skin raised with gooseflesh from the cold. Even in sleep she looked uneasy. This would certainly not be practical; the woman was clearly totally unaccustomed to the forest. She had watched her just _walk straight in_ _to_ a gang of thieves and done _nothing _to try and get herself out of it. Emma rolled her eyes; such extraordinary beauty, and clearly no common sense at all.

She walked over to Regina and nudged her with the toe of her boot.

"Oi, come on, wake up. We've gotta go."

The brunette stirred and opened bleary eyes before immediately jolting to attention, flexing slender fingers and sitting upright.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly, adjusting to the morning.

"Anywhere other than here. We've gotta keep moving to avoid...let's just call it 'unwanted company'."

Regina subtly stretched out aching muscles, still feeling run down, but ultimately a lot better. She was, however, _starving_. She wouldn't say so though.

She rose to her feet, folding the blanket immaculately then handing it to Emma, who murmured thanks while internally mocking the uptight nature of it all. She realised that she would have to explain her intentions pretty soon, but, knowing the other wouldn't take it particularly well, she decide to put it off as long as she could.

"We should find something to eat. I'll keep an eye out along the way." She stated before slipping on the satchel, shouldering her quiver and taking up her bow. Glancing around to make sure she'd got everything, she once more offered Regina a drink, which she begrudgingly accepted, then headed off out of the clearing with a "Right, let's go!" leaving Regina no other option but to trail after her.

They left the campsite behind them and began walking through the forest in silence. Emma was pleasantly surprised to see the other woman keeping up with apparent ease.

The quiet couldn't last forever.

"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't appreciate what you're doing, but where are you taking me? You don't seem like the type to randomly assist people in need." Asked Regina after ten minutes of trekking.

Emma scoffed at the reference to her "type", only just admitting to the hypocrisy of this before deciding to answer carefully.

"I'm taking you out of the forest, I'm _helping_ you out of a rare moment of goodwill. I thought that would be enough, seen as you're quite clearly desperate-"

"I'm not desperate." Muttered Regina bitterly.

"Really? Because you looked pretty desperate to me, princess."

"Don't call me that." The brunette snapped instantly.

Emma raised her eyebrows, feigning resignation but smirking all the same.

"Ok, whatever you wish, princess."

Regina twitched irritably at the oh-so-ironic nickname, but refused to give this ruffian the benefit of a reaction.

A few more minutes passed, before Regina voiced her query once more.

"I didn't tell you where I lived. You have no idea where I want to be but you seem pretty fixed on a destination. Why is that?"

"I just - I just wanna get you out of here as quickly as possible-" stammered Emma.

"Rubbish." Accused her companion. "You know exactly where you're going, and it isn't an easy route to throw me out of the forest. You're not telling me something, and seen as it so clearly concerns me, I demand that you tell me what the hell is going on this instant!" She ordered.

Damn, maybe the airhead wasn't as stupid as she'd originally thought. Come to think of it, that was even _more_ impractical than having an idiot; at least idiots don't ask questions.

"Ok, fine. I'll tell you what happening. Let's stop and eat first; you're undoubtedly hungry."

Regina opened her mouth to argue, before deciding that a meal would not go amiss, and she couldn't acquire one on her own.

"Ok. But no more stalling."

Emma was about to turn around and ask when on earth did _she_ start making the rules, before deciding getting into another argument would be unwise, so simply stopped by a large boulder and indicated for her to do the same.

"Wait here. I'll go and get something. I would say start a fire, but I doubt it'll do any good." She said before sliding an arrow out of her quiver and loading her bow, then stalking off into the forest, leaving Regina leaning against the boulder, decidedly irate.

Before being fully conscious of making the decision to do so, she had begun breaking dry branches off the trees around her, collecting them into a large bundle and dropping them on the floor, surrounding the pile with damp leaves. Having no experience in the natural starting of fires and adequately driven to prove the blonde thief wrong, she flicked her wrist and set the branches alight. That'd show the Swan woman not to treat her like a child.

She was once more leaning against the boulder when the other woman returned, only a fire was burning in the makeshift fire pit. Emma raised a mildly impressed eyebrow but said nothing. She carried an arrow; skewered on the end of it was a small rabbit, hanging limply by its middle. She held it up. "Had rabbit before?"

The brunette didn't flinch as Emma had expected her to, but shook her head as a negative.

Emma set about preparing the rabbit while Regina stood back and watched her skin and gut the animal with morbid fascination. Emma sat crossed legged on the ground, slowly turning the meat over on the fire, counting down the seconds until Regina decided she'd had enough and would start asking questions.

Once the blonde decided the food had been cooked all the way through, she ripped a piece off and handed it to Regina, who tentatively took it from her, blowing on it to cool it before taking a delicate bite. Emma watched with amusement, tearing large chunks off her own portion and swallowing them while still steaming.

Regina was not impressed with the meal, but was so grateful to have something in her stomach that she ate everything she was given. The pair stayed in silence, Regina standing and Emma sitting, taking it in turns to observe the other out of sheer curiosity when they thought they weren't looking.

Eventually, Regina lost her patience and, having begrudgingly wiped her hands on her skirt, addressed the blonde.

"Ok, no more diversions. Tell me what you're thinking."

Emma, still reluctant to let anything slip, adopted a sickeningly innocent expression. "What makes you think I'm thinking anything other than what I've told you?"

"Don't insult me, I wasn't born yesterday. Common goodness doesn't exist; everyone wants something. You have something to gain from helping me, and I'm not refusing to cooperate, so the least you can do is tell me what you want from me."

Chewing slowly on the last of her meal, Emma leaned back onto her hands to look at Regina with an expression worryingly close to appraisal. She nodded.

"Ok, fine. You're right; I do want something from you, and the likelihood is you aren't gonna like it, but it's the only way I'm getting you out of the forest and to...wherever you want to go."

"I'm listening. What do you want?"

Emma sighed heavily. "I need your help."

"Why?"

"Because you can do magic, quite successfully, going by what I saw during that...dilemma, despite being a little rough round the edges. I need the help of someone who is powerful enough to help me get back something that is rightfully mine, and you, princess, are powerful enough."

Regina narrowed her eyes, still wary. "What is it that is 'rightfully yours' that you need my help to retrieve?"

The blonde paused before answering, glancing away from Regina to look out into the trees.

"My son."

"You son?" Regina asked disbelievingly.

"Yes; my son."

"Who has your son?"

"A very powerful man, the most dangerous you're ever likely to have the misfortune to meet. He's got him."

"Wait, how-"

"It's a long story, and not one I want to tell. In short, he tricked me. He took him from me and has kept him from me for the six years he's been alive and I have no way of getting him back because I don't have magic. It's time I got him back, by force, seen as it's come to that. When I saw you fight off that gang, it seemed so...convenient."

"Of course saving me wasn't just human decency..." Said Regina, rolling dark eyes.

Emma laughed. "Don't be naive, princess, it's every man for himself out here...or herself. Just be glad you convinced me you were worth saving."

Regina wished she had never run into this forest, never come across those thieves and so had never had to have been saved. They both knew full well that Regina owed Emma a debt.

"So...what does helping you get your son back involve?"

Emma sighed. "It involves a journey, and not a short one. It involves travelling to the residence of the one who's got him and it then involves taking him back. That's where you come in. The place is likely to be very well guarded and will definitely take magic to break into."

Regina nodded her understanding, then decided to push it a little bit.

"And I should help you why?"

Emma fixed her with a look so stern that someone weaker than Regina may have buckled.

"Because I saved your life, that's why. Because there is no way you are ever getting out of here alone and therefore I am your only hope. Because I've helped you, so you now have to help me. Because it's the right thing to do, princess." She hissed.

Regina laughed internally. Since when has _she_ ever cared about doing the right thing? Certainly not after her marriage. She suddenly thought that maybe this thief had stronger morals than she did.

"Ok. That seems...reasonable. I'm not happy, but I'll comply." She said carefully.

Emma Swan brushed off her hands then pulled herself to her feet an extended one to Regina.

"We go to save my son. You do everything you can to help me get him back. In return, I get you out of this forest safely, and take you wherever you want to go after we've succeeded. We part ways and you never have to see me again. Deal?"

Regina sighed in resignation, but it appeared once again that she had very little choice in the matter.

She took the blonde's hand and shook it. "Deal."

"Right. Come on, let's move. We'll travel a bit further then stop for the night when I find somewhere to camp." Said Emma, shouldering her bow and quiver. Regina nodded mutely and followed her out of the clearing.

"So...how long will it take us to get to this man's house?"

Emma slowed down, biting her lip.

"Yeah, here's the thing, I don't...I don't actually, per se, _know_ where he lives..."

"Great!" Exclaimed Regina. "So where on earth are we going now then?"

"Hey, relax, princess, I know a place where we can find someone who will know where to find my son. It's a day or two's travel, and we can stop for supplies when we're there."

"Ok. I don't have any money though..."

Emma scoffed. "Of course not, unprepared once again. Luckily, I'll be able to pay for anything we need through my own means."

Regina got the implication immediately, and it ultimately didn't affect her. It wasn't the actually _illegality _that bothered her about thieves, she couldn't care less in that respect, it was the temperamental and ruthless nature that usually came with common criminals. The unpredictability; _that's_ what set her on edge.

She chose to just accept her rather unfortunate situation and get on with it. The sooner they rescued this woman's son, the sooner they could part ways and Regina could get on with the new life she dreamed of having, somewhere far far away from her husband and her palace and indeed from people like Emma Swan. Although, she imagined there would always be people like Emma Swan there to inconvenience her.

"Fine. Lead the way then."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! **

**DISCLAIMER: Still not mine, still not making a profit.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 4**

They were walking all day, ploughing through the foliage. They spoke little, and when they did, it was impersonal and curt, Regina asking about the area, Emma answering shortly, or Emma informing her of their general direction and Regina giving her assent without comment.

Regina pushed forward without complaining, despite her fatigue, Emma striding on with little difficulty. As evening rolled in, a clap of thunder overhead caused both heads to tilt up in anguish as the heavens opened.

As the rain poured down, Regina looked to her guide in desperation. Emma gasped as cold water ran down the back of her neck. She glanced around to regain her bearings then made a quick decision.

"Come on, quickly!" She hissed, and turned to run straight through tangles of bushes and tree after tree, rain beating down against both of them.

By the time they started to slow, the trees were thinning out and Emma was so relieved that her sense of direction was as good as ever. They had reached a break in the forest, an area of bare rock that covered a large expanse of land, the terrain uneven, the line of trees restarted a distance across from them.

"Where are we going? This is even more exposed!" Shouted Regina over the drumming over the rain.

"Have a little faith, princess! There should a cave around here somewhere!"

"'Should be'?!" But her cries fell on deaf ears as the blonde took off running again, jumping down off the slight ledge and climbing over bare rock, the other woman close behind, equally eager to get out of the rain.

"There's something here!" Emma shouted back to her companion, indicating to a small crevice in a rock face. "Help me move this boulder!"

The entrance to what Regina assumed was a small cave was blocked by a large stone. She glanced upwards. She couldn't believe that only yesterday, she'd been in a warm, comfortable palace, being brought banquets whenever she desired them and sleeping on the finest eiderdown. Despite the slight twinge of excitement she got from this new experience, she was mostly aggravated and tired of this "quest" already.

The two women threw all their combined weight against the slippery rock, pushing and shoving until it gave way just enough for them to squeeze past and into the welcome shelter of the cave behind it. It was dark, and not very spacious, but the barrier it created between them and the wind and rain was a godsend.

After ducking through the entrance, the cave broadened out slightly so there was just enough room to stand. An adequate amount of light came through the opening to show them an outline of their surroundings, but certainly wouldn't do when night fell.

Emma hugged her own thin frame, rubbing her upper arms with her hands.

"Could you make a fire? We could really do with getting warm." She asked.

Regina, completely drenched, spoke through minutely chattering teeth: "Magic isn't easy, you know? It isn't effortless."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all that, but it's sort of essential right now." Insisted the thief.

Regina rolled her eyes, but conceded. She reckoned this journey would pass a lot quicker if her and her guide didn't stop to argue at every point, but it seemed their personalities clashed on every level.

"There's no wood. I can't keep a fire going on cold stone." She said in defeat, glancing around their hideout and finding nothing of use.

Emma sighed. "Ok, it looks like we'll have to use these then." She said with disappointment. She pulled her quiver off her shoulder and removed around five sticks, all of which had been sharpened to a point at one end, the same as the one Regina had seen her working on the night before.

"Extra arrows. They don't shoot as well without the feathers but they're good enough when you're desperate. They're also good to throw at things and for impaling stuff, so...yeah, I make them when I can. Looks like we have no choice but to burn them." She snapped them into smaller pieces and made them into a pile in the centre of the cave.

When she'd stepped back, Regina closed her eyes, dragging all her power to the front of her mind. When she opened them, she focussed on the sticks, shivering with the cold, soaked to the skin and completely exhausted. She forced the last of her dwindling energy towards her right hand, flicking it upward while staring at the sticks, in a fluid and well-practiced gesture. A spark flew up from the pile, smoke began to billow and slowly, flames rose and grew.

"It's going to get very smoky in here, very quickly." Interjected Emma, staring at the fire with something akin to awe.

"I'll sort that out." Said Regina, newfound confidence filling her. Waving her hand, she willed the growing trail of smoke to flow towards the entrance and out into the open air. She smiled as she saw it keeping to its designate path.

"Wow, that's uh...pretty impressive, princess."

"Well, if that's the only reason I'm here, I had probably better keep reassuring you of my abilities."

Emma actually smiled at this, clearly amused. They sat down beside the fire, happy to be warmed by its forgiving heat for a moment, before Emma came to her senses.

"We'll catch a chill like this. We won't warm up quick enough." She said out loud, but it appeared as though she were more talking to herself.

Without warning, she pulled off her soaked jacket, stretching it out in front of the fire to dry, which left her in a thin, white, slightly damp shirt that clung to cold pale skin. Regina was slightly terrified that she'd strip down further, but she obviously decided against it, her leather trousers having survived the storm surprisingly well. She rubbed her arms again, pulling damp blonde curls out of her face and shuffling closer to the fire. After minute of silence, she looked across to Regina.

"You're drenched, princess."

Regina was really beginning to detest that nickname.

"I'm fine." She said curtly, harshly. Evidently, however, the other woman didn't get the message.

"Come on, that material's heavy, it's gonna be damp all night and you're just gonna get colder and colder."

"It isn't that bad." She snapped.

"Hey, calm down, I was only trying to help-"

"Well I don't remember asking for your help."

"Well I'm sorry if I don't want to be dragging someone who's dying around with me-"

"You're overreacting."

"Believe me, I have experience in this area."

"Of course you do, you're clearly the expert at everything-"

"In this case, yes, I am, and your attitude is beginning to really piss me off..."

"Oh, well in that case, I'll stop immediately-"

"You'd be wise to, princess."

"Don't call me that!"

"Well since it annoys you, I'm_ certainly _not going to stop!"

"You are the rudest individual I have _ever_ had the misfortune to come across!"

"Then I guess you only mingle with people as uptight and pretentious as you are!"

"How _dare_ you-"

"Let's not get into this again!"

"You brought it up!"

"I just want you to dry your damn dress off!"

"And _I_ said my 'damn dress' is fine, thank you!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Regina, take the dress off!"

Emma's final shout echoed round the cave, reverberating off the walls and bouncing back to Regina again and again. She was fuming, bemused, no one had spoken to her like that since her mother, and never someone like Emma Swan. Regina gritted her jaw, and chose to rise above it, knowing ultimately she could not win, since she was already feeling the effects of staying in her rapidly freezing gown.

She kept her eyes locked on the blonde's, rising slowly to her feet, their combined heavier breathing and the thunder of the storm overhead were the only sounds. Reaching round behind her back, she steadily pulled at the ties of the bodice, undoing them with a newfound determination that she had lacked before. Once they were loose enough, she pulled the sleeves off pale shoulders and allowed the bodice to pool around her waist before pushing it the rest of the way down her legs, then stepping out of it. She stood in her white silk chemise and petticoat, trembling slightly in the cold air. The blonde still held her gaze, regarding the other woman in fine white silk with damp dark hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back, coal-dark eyes ablaze with fury. She looked ethereal, like some sort of apparition, yet at the same time mildly sinister.

Laying red velvet alongside rough fabric, Regina took a seat closer to the fire, tucking black booted legs underneath herself to keep in as much heat as possible. The atmosphere was tense, the glares they sent the other's way unwavering. Emma felt her stomach complain; they hadn't eaten since the rabbit and they'd walked a long way. Disturbing the charged stillness, she reached for her satchel and rummaged through it, drawing out two large, thick, fleshy leaves of a rich green colour and the flask of water that was half empty by now.

Regina, determined not to show how cold she was, yet begrudgingly warming up due to the blonde's advice, furrowed her brow in confusion. Emma rolled her eyes at her apparent cluelessness.

"They're Stola leaves. They come from a vine that's pretty common in that part of the forest. I picked some up when I caught the rabbit. They don't have much goodness in them, but they're better than nothing. You always cook them first, though." She explained, filling the silence and dispelling the tension slightly. Regina was secretly thankful of it.

Emma placed the leaves on the fire to blacken and took a swig of water before offering it to Regina, who had to stop herself from commenting on the other woman's appalling manners. The rain continued to drum down with a vengeance, like it was trying to cleanse the land. Regina listened to its strangely relaxing rhythm while Emma pulled the leaves off the fire and handed her one.

The plant was chewy and juicy on the inside, and despite not tasting of anything, was satisfying to simply chew and swallow, and filled her up at least a little bit. She felt a lot warmer now, and saw that her companion's shirt had dried, rendering it thankfully more opaque. Emma yawned loudly.

"We'd better rest. Not like we'd be doing anything else worthwhile and I don't fancy arguing again." She said. Regina did not like the passive role she had been assigned in this mission, but realised there was little she could do about it.

Emma handed her the blanket she had slept on the night before and they both settled down, huddle next to the fire. Neither were particularly happy about sharing such a small space with someone who had managed to aggravate them so extensively in the short period they had known each other, so lay stiffly on their backs, staring at the moss-covered stone roof above them, Regina praying there wouldn't be any small animals or large insects nearby, Emma hoping she hadn't lost where they were in the forest. Neither spoke for a while.

"What are you running from, princess?" Emma's voice broke through the night.

"How did he manage to trick you into giving him your son?" She asked back without faltering.

"Touché." Came the answer. Neither spoke again for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Regina woke first, shivering and stiff, a sensation she was really beginning to tire of. The fire still flickered in the centre of the cave; her enchantment had evidently been stronger than she'd thought.

Her companion slept on, completely at ease, Regina envied her experience with the surroundings. She regarded wildly tangled blonde curles with distaste, before realising hers wouldn't be in a much better state. She dragged fingers through her own, attempting to fight it into some sort of order but ultimately feeling pessimistic about its long-term state. Eventually, her irritation drove her to conjure a hair restraint and tie it back in as elegant a style as she could achieve with minimal effort. She had no reason to worry about her appearance out here.

Reaching over she took the material of her deep crimson dress between her fingers; still slightly damp but ultimately much drier. She stood up and slipped it on. As she struggled behind her back with the ties, the blonde stirred and awoke.

"In a bit of a hurry to leave, are we princess?" She murmured.

Regina huffed. The first words they'd exchanged that day and she was already aggravated.

"Well yes, the sooner we leave, the quicker we'll get going and ultimately, the sooner this whole thing will be over and done with."

Emma shrugged and sat up. "Need a hand?" She asked as she watched the brunette struggle.

"If you would be so kind." Regina deadpanned. Emma decided this passive-aggressive attitude to one another was favourable to outright aggression.

She indicated for Regina to turn around then inspected the lacing of her bodice.

"I didn't realise I'd need to take a course in nautical knot-tying for this." She said. Regina's following silence was deliberate.

Working the laces through the complicated crisscross of holes, Emma was pleased with herself when she managed to tie it into some sort of order with minimal instruction. As she pulled the strings taught, material covering immaculate, smooth skin, Regina gasped as the bodice pressed into marks made the day before. Emma apologised and loosened it slightly before tying it off.

"That'll have to do."

Regina murmured thanks, rolling her shoulders back to adjust to moist material.

They kicked the fire out then packed up and exited the cave, reviewing the damp surroundings with a sense of trepidation. Emma led them back to the forest and they continued along the path they had picked out the day before, the undergrowth dragging rain-soaked tendrils against their legs.

The atmosphere was not as heavy as it had been; conversation was still minimal but felt a little easier. It mostly consisted of commenting on the surroundings or Regina asking their direction again and again until Emma told her to stop it.

"So you live out here?" She asked after they had walked in silence for a while.

"I live wherever I can." Emma replied. "Wherever there's something to eat, something to steal and somewhere to sleep."

Regina's silence was better at conveying her disapproval than a scathing remark would have ever been.

"Look princess, it might be all grand balls and tea parties where you come from but out in the real world, you have to fight for survival, whatever it takes. I do honest work where I can get it but ultimately, the only way I can stay fed is by giving people what they want, and often I have to acquire that from somewhere, or someone, else. The forest is always full of rich passers-by with more money than they know what to do with, and it's not like I _kill_. It's just the way the world is."

Regina looked down and nodded minutely. "I understand, I suppose. We've all had to do something we're not proud of to get by."

Emma glanced over at the brunette, who was too busy disentangling her skirt from a bramble bush to notice emerald eyes roaming a face that suddenly appeared less innocent than it had before.

"So, where do you want to go after we've done this? I can take you anywhere."

Regina slowed down to think. She hadn't really considered where she would go after this. She supposed she should at some point.

"I don't know. Anywhere. Far away. Foreign. I don't ever want to come back."

"Understandable. There are many reasons why you wouldn't, but which did you choose?"

"I'm running from something. The life I've led, I don't ever want to go back. I want a fresh start. My situation is far from ideal."

Emma laughed. "Your situation? 'Far from ideal'? I know dozens of people who would give everything they have to trade places with you."

"You can't pass judgement when you don't know anything about my circumstance."

"I know enough to see that it's preferable to most other people's. Look at me; I have nothing. I'd trade places with you any day."

"I doubt that." She snapped

Emma laughed again. "You need to get some perspective, princess."

"You have _no _idea what my life is like!" Regina hissed.

Emma stopped and turned to face the brunette. "Oh really? Because it seems pretty ideal to me! I know I don't know what your situation is, and going on the way we're getting along I probably never will, but there is no way it is anything close to what people like me go through every day, so you have no right to be upset with your lot. Like I said, princess, _perspective_."

"Look, whatever vision you have of some paradise world that I come from, it couldn't be further from the truth. I am, as you have continuously pointed out, completely ill-adapted to these conditions. I am cold, unclean, hungry and tired and have _no_ idea where we are or where we're going. I am putting all of my faith in a thief who I don't even know if I _should_ trust, who I definitely _don't _trust, and who I'm pretty sure I don't even _like_. This is my version of hell, Swan, and it's the happiest and most peaceful I've been in seven years. So don't you dare comment on my life when you have _no idea_ what it's like."

Emma stood silently, regarding dark eyes that were pools of furious obsidian. Regina was flushed with rage, Emma caught sight of purple sparks crackling round her right hand, and slowly and cautiously rested a hand on the bow on her shoulder, more for reassurance than threat.

She sighed, remaining a safe distance away, knowing from the brief experience she had how temperamental this woman could be. "Ok. Fine. You're right. I know nothing of your life; I have no right to judge. I just got aggravated because my lot isn't great either. I'm sorry I snapped."

Regina sighed in resignation, brushing back errant locks of hair that had escaped her restraints. "Let's just get going again." She said, anger morphing into fatigue.

Emma nodded and continued through the trees, Regina remaining a short distance behind. "We should be at the town by nightfall."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It's tonight! It's been a long hiatus, guys, one that actually spawned this fanfic and many others, so in a way I'm grateful. Unfortunately, I live in England where apparently ABC is against our civil and moral code or something ridiculous which means there is literally no way of me watching it until Monday without selling my soul (sorry, I'm not dedicated enough to stay up to live stream it), so to celebrate the return of the show and to act as a buffer against all the inevitable CaptainSwan and OutlawQueen that will be thrown our way (not looking forward to **_**that!) **_**here's the next chapter!**

**Thanks to all who have reviewed/followed/favourited. Feedback really does keep me writing.**

**DISLAIMER: If you're bothered, I don't own it.**

**Chapter 6**

The journey took only a little longer than Emma had anticipated. It seemed that the clouds had rained themselves out and were content with hanging lazily over the land, neither here nor there.

They'd encountered minimal problems. A wild cat had leapt out onto the path in front of them and had startled them to the point that Emma had shot it on impulse and when she glanced around to check on Regina, there was a ball of fire hovering an inch above her palm.

Being aware that it's meat would give them little in the way of nutrition and could well make them ill, Emma decided that, instead of leaving the carcass to rot, she would put _some_ of it to use at least and so skinned the animal of its fine pelt, placing it in her satchel and informing her companion that it would sell when they reached the town.

By the time the trees thinned out, both were stumbling on tired legs and hadn't the energy for interaction or conversation. The invisible path they had been following became a dirt track, well worn by travellers stopping at the cluster of buildings surrounded by farmed fields. Emma sighed at the sight; regarding the illuminated widows and noticeable bustle of activity with relief.

As they approached the town, she turned to Regina.

"Right, the first place we'll look is the tavern. If he isn't there...well...I don't know where to look after that. When we find him, I'll do the talking. Say nothing; if you say the wrong thing, there's no hope. He is an acquaintance of mine...on a good day I'd stretch to 'friend', but he's tricky, and he can be a little overbearing sometimes. Ignore everything he says. Leave it to me and if we're lucky, he'll give us what we need."

Regina nodded in admission.

The town was of admirable size; small enough to be easily navigable and to narrow down possible locations of their target, but small enough to be quaint and, Regina hoped, insignificant, and she prayed no one would recognise her.

Emma got her bearings before leading them down the main street, remaining inconspicuous among the inhabitants still up and about as the evening drew on. Catching sight of a familiar sign, she grabbed Regina's arm and pulled her rather suddenly into the tavern.

The heat hit them immediately; the tavern was stuffy but the warmth was welcome on the women who had been travelling all day. The large room was dimly lit only by two roaring fires at either end and gas lamps hanging from the varnished wooden walls. It was full of people, most of them human, some of them not, many swigging from tankards. The noise was incredible, and Regina wondered how the other woman intended to have a conversation over the racket.

"He'll be somewhere at the back." She shouted back to Regina, who replied with, "Lead the way!"

They pushed their way through crowds of people, ignoring several shouts sent their way by those already drunk. Regina felt uneasy, but once more invigorated. Another place she had never been before, and the experience was a rather exciting one, if slightly intimidating. She kept her face coolly neutral, however, as Emma almost dragged her to the back of the rowdy room.

Glancing around and skimming over dwarves and farmers and soldiers and sailors, Emma sought out a familiar figure she was almost certain would be here. She was correct; green eyes came to rest on the man she was seeking.

Regina was mildly alarmed as the blonde leant in close, invading what she considered her personal space, only to realise she intended to shout something in her ear.

"That's him, in the corner. Remember what I said, not a word unless I prompt you to talk."

"Understood." She shouted back.

Emma led her over to a table in the much quieter corner with one sole occupant.

He looked up on their approach and grinned.

"My my, Swan, it's been a while. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Emma rolled her eyes at his over-pleasant tone, something about which made Regina's skin crawl.

"Killian." Said Emma, nodding her head in greeting.

"You're looking well, sweetheart." He commented with a closely appraising glance along the length of Emma slender figure.

"You're not." She said harshly. He laughed heartily in response.

He glanced behind her, noticing she had company.

"And _who_ is this?" He asked with a lopsided grin. His eyes darkened, expression leering. Regina resisted the urge to scowl.

"This is my...friend. Regina. Regina, this is Killian Jones...or Captain Hook as he's now more commonly known."

Killian Jones was everything Regina had expected of a sailor worthy of a moniker. His attire consisted almost entirely of black leather, and he wore no other colour aside from a few large gold and silver rings. He had short black hair swept slightly to one side, accompanied by a moustache and beard of careless stubble. He had brooding dark eyes under a heavy brow and a straight nose and strong jaw. As he grinned, she saw several gold teeth, and his shirt hung open at the front, skin weatherworn and tanned through sun exposure. He raised his arm in greeting; his left hand was missing and had been replaced by a lethal-looking silver hook. He was ruggedly, strikingly handsome and at the same time highly threatening.

"Believe me, love, the pleasure is all mine." He said with a smirk. Regina offered a tight smile and a bow of the head.

Emma took a seat opposite him without being offered and looked pointedly at the one beside her, prompting Regina to take the initiative to sit down next to her.

"I assume you aren't here to exchange pleasantries." Said Hook, raising his tankard of ale and drinking deeply.

"You assume correct." Said Emma. All the light-hearted teasing tone and amused tilt had gone from her voice. She looked calmly determined. Regina bit back a scathing remark as she caught Hook looking at her with that expression again.

"What can I do for you two ladies?"

The man was cockily confident. Regina suspected that, like her host, he was not in a particularly honest trade.

"I need to find someone." Emma started. "They have something of mine, and I want it back. I believe you could help us in finding him."

Hook leaned back in his seat and grinned. "And what makes you think that?"

Emma glared and shook her head. "Don't give me that, you know your way around this land better than anyone I know and you've sure been alive long enough to explore." She said. There was an angry undertone in her voice. Regina felt a sudden respect for the woman swell in her.

"You wound me, love." He said, looking wholly unwounded. "Who is it you seek?"

"Someone we both want revenge on."

Hook's demeanour went from playful to murderous in the space of a second. "The crocodile." He growled, eyes glinting maliciously.

Emma nodded. "He's got something of mine." She reiterated.

Hook looked momentarily confused, before understanding washed over his features. "Ah yes, I remember. Why do you want _that_ back? Surely it's better off-"

"Say another word and I'll cut your other hand off, you lowlife." She hissed with such venom it even threw Regina slightly.

Hook raised his eyebrows in submission. "Fine." To avoid her poisonous gaze, he diverted his attention back to Regina.

"What role does your delightful friend play in all of this?" He asked.

"She's none of your concern." Snapped Emma.

"Ooh, touchy are we?" He smirked, then directly addressed Regina. "I haven't seen you around before, love. Where are you from? What's she got on you?"

Regina scowled, and would have spoken out if Emma hadn't interrupted. "Where she's from and what she's doing here are none of your business, pirate!" Hook suddenly found himself faced with two women sending him death glares. He merely smirked again.

"Alright! Calm yourself, Swan, I was jut being friendly."

"You're never just being friendly, Killian."

"Yeah, well you'd know from experience, love."

Regina's stomach turned, but she succeeded in masking her discomfort.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Look, Hook, can you help us or not?"

"Oh, I certainly _can_ help you, but why _should_ I help you?"

He drained his glass then leant back against the wall.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, if you know where he dwells, why haven't you...taken your revenge yet?"

The grin slid off his face, biting his tongue and glancing down at his lap.

"I can't. The place is too well guarded. I can't find anyone whose magic is strong enough, and it's not like the fairies will ally with me."

It was Emma's turn to smirk. "So you know where he is, but can't get to him?"

"That is correct."

"That's rough, my friend."

"Why don't you kick me in the crotch while you're at it, love?" He grinned sarcastically.

"Don't tempt me, Killian." She drawled. Regina felt decidedly outside of this little interlude.

"Well it's too bad no one can get to him which begs the question why you're even bothering finding out where he lives..." He said, casual tone returning.

Emma huffed out a breath, leaning back in her chair and evidently contemplating whether to say what she was going to say next. For the first time since they'd sat down, she looked over at Regina, who was looking calm as ever, but her posture was rather rigid.

"We have a way." Is what she settled for saying.

"What?" Asked Hook, suddenly very interested.

"I said, we have a way. A way of getting past his protection enchantments and inside the place itself. So we're going to get inside and steal back my son, hopefully without being seen."

"I don't believe you."

"Do you think I'd be wasting my time chasing you up if I didn't have a way?"

He thought for a moment, his appraising gaze more for her reasoning than her appearance.

"Even if you did get your son back, he'd know it was you, he'd come after you."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. All I know is that I have a way to get him back and I'm going to try it, no matter what it takes. When we encounter a problem, we'll solve it, but I am not missing anymore of him growing up."

She spoke with conviction, and Hook look temporarily pacified.

"Alright, love, I'll make you a deal. I tell you where he lives and how to get there, and in return, you take me with you. You use your 'secret weapon' and get me inside and let me enact my revenge. Then I'll be out of your hair for good, until of course you next come looking for me." He finished with a crooked grin that was pointedly ignored. "Deal?"

Emma considered for a moment. She didn't want this to turn into some sort of strange pilgrimage; an enlarged group was bound to attract more attention. Even after all this time and all that history, she still felt slightly uneasy around Hook. God knows their past hadn't been black and white, and she would probably count them as friends, but while there was a mutual respect and almost camaraderie between the two of them on occasion, she still didn't really trust him, and having both him _and _the temperamental rich girl in the same place as Emma herself was likely to produce catastrophic results.

Then again, he was their only lead, and the urge to see her son again, to take him in her arms and promise to never let go again grew stronger every day. Once more, she had no choice.

"Alright, Hook. I'm not happy about it but it seems we have no other choice. Accompany us to his residence then do what you will with him, we just need to know how to get there."

"Sorry, when you keep saying 'we', are you referring to..."

"Regina and me."

"Right..." Hook glanced from Emma to the beautiful brunette by her side with curious eyes. Emma guessed it wouldn't take him long to figure it out, he'd always been irritatingly perceptive.

"So? Where is it? Where does he live?" She asked, cutting to the chase.

"Ah, that's the thing, love. I don't _know _where he lives, but I can tell you."

"What?" Hissed Emma. Hook sensed her impending rage.

"Calm down, love! Bloody hell, you're a loose canon! I have a map back on my ship, it shows the way. It's fairly complex but I'm sure you'll pick it up."

Emma sighed. Another quest. She looked over to Regina who looked back with slight confusion evident.

The bustle and noise of the tavern grew by the minute as more people streamed in as it reached peak time. Even their little secluded corner became filled with the terrible sound of drunken sea shanty renditions and alcohol-induced brawls. Emma rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Oh well, one impromptu trip aboard the Jolly Roger it is then!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow, I'm updating quickly! I would like to offer everyone my condolences vis-à-vis the birth of OutlawQueen and the abundance of CaptainSwan in New York City Serenade; I'm not really liking it at all. So, it seems the only way to make SwanQueen canon is to convince ourselves that is is, even if it isn't. Thus, I present the next chapter of my fanfiction.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Once.**

**Thanks to everyone who has responded to this story, it will keep updates quicker and me happier! **

**Chapter 7**

"We'll leave tomorrow, then. It'd be stupid to travel at night." Declared the pirate. Emma, though eagerly anticipating the next step that brought her closer to her goal, begrudgingly agreed.

"I have a room here for the night if you two ladies would like to share..." He suggested, his smirk implying that he might not be completely joking.

Emma didn't even flinch. "No thank you, Killian. Though I appreciate the offer."

"Perhaps next time then, Swan." His grin was lecherous.

"We'll get a room," she said, indicating to Regina "And meet you tomorrow morning. How far away is your ship?"

"It's moored in the harbour not two miles from here." He replied.

"Ok, that shouldn't take long then. We'll get the map then set off right away."

Hook nodded. "Sounds good to me." He stood up and rolled his shoulders back; apparently he'd been sitting in the same position for a while. "Well, if you ladies don't mind, I have some business to attend to." He polished his hook with the edge of his shirt.

He winked then sauntered off through the tavern towards the door.

Emma exhaled heavily. "Right, we'd better find a room, princess."

"Oh, an actual bed surrounded by solid walls, you're too generous, Ms Swan." Said Regina.

Emma rolled her eyes at the sarcasm but the corner of her mouth quirked in a smile.

The inn above the tavern had one room available, and so Emma agreed to take it and handed over what appeared to be all the money she had. Regina would have felt guilty at this, thinking of her bulging vault back at the palace, but remembering the reluctance she felt at the situation, she couldn't bring herself to.

Handing over the keys, the innkeeper cast a curious glance between the two women before directing them towards their room.

In hindsight, she should have asked about sleeping arrangements, but being the only room available, there was nowhere else to go. Turning the key in the lock and swinging the door open, silence elapsed as they regarded the double bed in the middle of the minimalistic room.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the floor, Swan." Said Regina. Emma rolled her eyes, but noted the amiable shift in attitude.

"What gives you more right to the bed? You're not back in your palace now, princess."

The sudden silence from Regina went unnoticed as the blonde entered the room. She took her satchel off and threw it on the lone chair in the room, walking over to the washbasin and filling it with lukewarm water from the jug accompanying it.

"You gonna stand there all night?" She called back to Regina, splashing water over her face and washing her hands, ridding herself of the dirt she'd picked up in the forest.

Regina walked through the door, observing her surroundings critically. She perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed while Emma washed herself as best she could, then taking her turn with the remaining clean water. She missed royal comforts, that was for sure.

Peering out of the single small window, she observed the rest of the town, watching as the moon dodged in and out of banks of clouds. This journey was certainly taking it out of her.

Both were exhausted but neither wanted to take the first step. The noise from downstairs drifted up through thin floorboards; distinct but muted. Emma sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, fighting against dropping eyelids. She knew she had to stay alert, as trust was definitely not present in this room.

Eventually, the goodness in her, waning as it might be, won over.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor." She heaved herself off the mattress and went to remove the two blankets from her satchel.

Regina internally fought between a sense of victory and her conscience. She wanted nothing more than the bed to herself, being the least accustomed to sleeping in the forest, but she knew she couldn't just take it after Emma had paid for the room. Ultimately, she didn't have to decide which voice to listen to, as reason won out.

"I'm afraid I can't. You're my protection and guide out there," she admitted begrudgingly "And you need to be well rested to be as alert as possible. You take the bed."

Emma shook her head "I'm used to sleeping on the floor; it won't be a problem."

"Then in that case you should take the opportunity to sleep on a bed for once, especially since you paid for it."

"It's fine, princess, I'm not bothered."

"Well I owe you this much, come on."

"You've repaid your debt by coming with me to help, you needn't do any more."

"I'm trying to be nice here! I'm very rarely nice, Swan."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"You can talk!"

Emma sighed. "We're arguing again. We've got to stop doing that."

Regina nodded, muscles relaxing. "Agreed. We're hardly much of a team, we're supposed to be working together."

Emma chewed the inside of her cheek. "Ok, first team-building exercise then. We share the bed."

Regina looked shocked, then affronted.

"What?"

"We'll share the bed. It's big enough." Shrugged the blonde, completely casual.

"That's a stupid idea."

"Well have you got a better one?"

Regina paused to think; it would solve the problem of who would have to sleep on the floor, and she was so tired that she was pretty certain she would collapse within minutes.

"And it could be worse," added Emma "you could be sharing with Hook."

Regina considered that and masked a shudder.

"Fine. If you think it's a good idea..."

"I didn't say it was a good idea, just the lesser of two evils."

Regina conceded defeat and took her hair down, combing it through with damp fingers in an attempt to wash it as best she could.

"How have you lived this long without a hairbrush?" She asked.

Emma laughed. "The state of my hair matters very little to me. Where my next meal comes from is higher up my priorities list than looking pretty."

Regina couldn't help but feel disheartened at the wasted potential. She supposed Emma had her own sort of flare, however, a sort of carefree appeal, tough and hardwearing; attractive, if you liked that sort of thing.

"Don't worry about your silken locks, princess, we'll find somewhere to wash it soon." Said Emma, sliding her jacket and boots off and reclining back on the bed, the vision of nonchalance.

Regina glared half-heartedly at her. She tied her hair back up neatly and, having run out of things to do, cautiously approached the bed as though it were a resting dragon.

Emma snorted in a rather unladylike way. "Sleeping in your clothes, are you? Good move, you evidently learnt nothing from our conversation last night."

"Well forgive me if I'm not ready to strip down to my underwear in the presence of an almost total stranger." She retorted, surprising even herself with her bluntness.

"Well, once again, if you remember last night I've already seen rather a lot so I wouldn't worry about your modesty, princess. Especially since Hook'll be around for the foreseeable future, you better abandon that delusion pretty quickly."

"Well I'm sorry that one of us has some basic dignity!" She snapped, but reached round to loosen the ties of her dress nonetheless.

"Do you need-"

"I'm fine." She cut the blonde off shortly.

Stepping out of delicate black leather boots and thick red velvet, she begrudgingly took a seat at her own side of the bed. Without the cold bite of rainwater, her petticoat billowed out around her and she felt surprisingly more exposed than she had the night before. Green eyes were not judgmental, but Regina felt like she was being surveyed.

Emma reached over and extinguished the lamp on her bedside table, leaving the only light source as the lamp on Regina's side.

"So you're staying fully clothed then?"

Emma glanced over. "Why? You want me in my underwear?" She said with a raised eyebrow.

Regina didn't blush as the blonde had expected her to. "No, you're just a bit of a hypocrite, that's all."

Emma regarded her suspiciously for a moment, before clicking her tongue and shrugging out of her trousers and sliding under the covers immediately afterwards. Regina fought the urge to laugh.

"Well now we're in our underwear I think we should go to sleep and never speak of this again." She settled for saying.

Emma allowed a small smile to crawl across her face. "Good idea."

Regina extinguished her lamp and pulled the covers over herself. They lay in the dark, staring stiffly at the ceiling, making certain no part of their bodies were in danger of even coming close to touching. Emma sighed heavily and leant further back into the pillows, Regina rested her hands on her stomach.

"How do you know the Captain?" The brunette asked suddenly through the darkness.

Emma shifted slightly. It was a few moments before she answered rather reluctantly.

"He's...an old friend."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't want to answer your question."

"Well I'd like to know in whom I'll be placing my trust for the foreseeable future."

"...Fine." She settled more comfortably. "Hook and I met a long time ago. He's a lot older than he looks, the perks of time spent in Neverland, but I met him when I was only just out of childhood. He helped me when no one else did. He fed me, clothed me, let me join his crew until I made my own way, and has since proved a useful ally. I live in anticipation of the day when he asks me to pay back the massive debt I owe him for everything he did for me."

Regina processed this new information. "Are-were you two...?"

"Hook is complicated and difficult to understand, but he's still just a man: men want things, men get bored, men get lonely. The details are none of your concern, I'm not delving into my past." She said.

"Did you love him?" Asked Regina without stammering.

"No." Came the reply.

"Do you love him now?"

"No."

They were definite negatives, but Regina wondered if they were honest.

"Can we trust him?"

Emma paused. "I've know him for nine years, and I still don't trust him. He's not a man of his word, but he has some goodness in him. I wouldn't have agreed to his conditions if I thought he was a serious threat, I would've found another way to get what I want."

Regina gives a nod that Emma doesn't see, and the blonde suddenly picks up on the use of "we" in Regina's last question, thinks on it but says nothing.

Regina wondered why Emma so openly answered the two highly personal questions on her relationship with Hook and yet was so closed off with respect to other areas.

"Why does he want revenge on the man who has your son?"

"Wow, that's a lot I questions in quick succession, princess. Since we're obviously not getting to sleep right away, I'll make you a deal. A question for a question; you ask me then I ask you. Complete honesty."

"What if I don't want to answer your questions?"

"I won't ask overly invasive ones then."

"Fine. I go first. Answer my question."

Emma pulled the blanket up to her chin against the rapidly cooling air.

"The man I'm after knew Hook a long time ago. Hook had an affair with his wife; true love he called it. She abandoned her son and husband and ran away with Hook. After gaining powerful dark magic, the man I seek confronted Hook, killed his lover, and cut off his hand. Hook's been going crazy for vengeance for his lost love ever since."

Regina inhaled deeply. "Ok, that's actually understandable."

"My turn." Said Emma. "Why are you here? What made you agree to my deal?"

Regina took a moment to think, twisting coarse bed sheets between slender fingers. "Because I wanted I escape so badly that I jumped head first into a dangerous quest with a complete stranger in the hope that it would get me far away. I don't know, my life hasn't been all I hoped it would be, it's almost like the call of adventure couldn't be ignored. I thought if there was anyone in the forest who could guide me and defend themselves then it would be you."

Emma took this in. "That's the first compliment you've paid me."

Regina chuckled quietly at the low standards. "It's true; you're mildly terrifying, and that's not something I'd usually admit to."

Emma laughed in response. "That doesn't surprise me."

Silence fell, but it wasn't as awkward as before.

"I'm glad you agreed."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Otherwise I'd be scouring the kingdom for some grouchy magic dwarf to help me with only Hook for company."

Regina smiled. "Well you're welcome."

She turned on her side to face in the other direction while Emma cast a pensive glance her way before turning to face the window, blonde hair fanning out across the pillow.

"Goodnight, princess."

"Goodnight, Ms Swan."

They were asleep within minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello! Another update. Just to let you know, I do NOT ship CaptainSwan, this is not a CS story, but I thought his inclusion in the plot necessary. I hope I haven't put anyone off.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Once.**

**Please leave a review! They're highly appreciated and keep me writing!**

**Chapter 8**

Emma sat bolt upright, gasping for air, eyes wild, reaching beside her automatically for her bow. When her fingers touched smooth wood, she remembered where she was.

Letting out a lungful of air, she slumped back against the headboard. The nightmares came and went, not derived from the horrific moments in her life, but entirely fictitious, disturbing images and anxious situations that ultimately left her confused and afraid. She relished the feeling of control that she had in her own life, and so dreaded the loss of it when dreams took hold of her.

Attempting to calm her erratic heartbeat, she glanced over to the head of dark hair that was her still-sleeping bedfellow, chest rising and falling in a motion of repose that Emma found strangely soothing. The girl had probably had no reason to ever fear sleeping, she thought, she had no need of dreams in a life that was idyllic.

She then reminded herself of why Regina was here with her and the desperation evident in her escape attempt and halted her quick judgement. She was curious at to her companion's situation, but she of all people knew the perks of discretion, so wouldn't push for an answer; it was none of her business anyway, and it wasn't like she was concerned.

Turning her attention to the window as light streamed in, she saw the new sun just peeking over the hill bank that hid the sea from view. It was early morning, a clear and cold-looking day, a large bird, a breed she recognised but could not put a name to at that moment, circled over the fields. The lambs would by now mostly be big enough to be safe, but any late births or runts were in danger of being carrier off if the farmer wasn't paying attention.

Emma slipped silently out of bed, confusing herself with her effort not to disturb Regina, since she'd have to wake her anyway. She felt well rested, the first time she'd had a proper warm bed for a good few months. She was grateful for it, despite having to share it with her highly disagreeable bedfellow; an experience she hoped to avoid in the future. She always slept better alone.

After dressing, she woke the other woman, who did likewise promptly and without comment, and they descended to the tavern side by side, returning the key at the desk.

"We're meeting Hook at some point, but knowing him he'll be asleep for a while yet. We might as well acquire some...additional funds while we're here and have time. He can wait for us." Informed Emma.

The town was slowly adjusting to the day as they stepped outside into the street. Vendors and salesmen were setting up their stalls, milkmaids doing their morning rounds, farmers buying bread from the bakers before hurrying off to tend to their fields and there was a man up a ladder, slowly washing the windows of the town hall.

"Delightful." Said Regina, noticing that Emma had stopped to take in the tranquil spectacle. "Do you think perhaps we should keep moving, Swan, before something even more exciting happens?"

Emma wasn't sure if she preferred cold silence or withering sarcasm from the brunette. Regina was certainly warming to her...well...she was becoming less wary of her. Whether or not she actually _enjoyed_ her company in any way was a more puzzling question.

The town, which Emma realised she didn't know the name of despite having visited on several occasions, had a shop that sold valuable items, which Emma made straight for. Regina was about to ask what they could possibly need to buy from this rather unbecoming establishment, with its peeling sign and stale smell, but remembered Emma's "trade" and chose instead to snoop around the items on sale while the blonde bartered with the owner for the price of the wild cat skin. Once she seemed satisfied, she handed it over before pulling a gold necklace out of her satchel, holding it out so the early sun could glint off the sapphires imbedded in its pendant. The haggling began again and Regina found herself somewhat distracted from the tarnished mirror she had been examining by the sight of her thin-built companion arguing with a heavy-set man with a thick moustache and red cheeks over the price of the object. The way Emma spoke with such conviction stirred something worryingly close to admiration in Regina, who quickly shook it off and went back to exploring like a child in tow.

Once the trade had been done, the atmosphere lightened and Emma left the shop with a call of "Thanks, Carl." He responded with "take care, Emma!"

Hook was waiting when they returned to the tavern, the room virtually unrecognisable without half the town inside. Regina noted how he looked exactly as he had the previous night, before realising that she probably did as well, still not fully used to wearing the same thing for several days in a row.

"Alright, let's get going. We've waited while you lazed around long enough." Said Emma, eyeing him suspiciously as he twisted his hook until it clicked into place.

"As you wish, m'lady." Despite his attempts at being gentlemanly, Regina was sill aware of his ever more apparent narcissism, arrogance and semi-perverted attitude towards women. He hadn't, however, done anything worth calling him up on, and she'd met people who'd made her feel much more uncomfortable. He also appeared to have a twisted respect for Emma, and was yet to cheat them out of anything. Regina did not like him much, mind you she had met few people she liked over past years, and she didn't have to trust him, just cooperate as far as was necessary and block out any aggravating comments, thus refraining from scorching him with enchanted fire until he was just a pile of burnt leather, melted hook and kohl.

The walk down to the coast was a refined stroll compared to the last two day's journey, although it was made infinitely more irritating with Hook in the lead. Regina dodged around puddles left from the heavy rain, trying her best to keep the hem of her dress clean, while having to listen to Hook and Emma's catch-up session, which was enough to make anyone consider running themselves through with one of the many arrows swinging tantalisingly close in front of her in the quiver on Emma's shoulder.

Discourse consisted mainly of Emma asking a question, Hook rebutting it with an innuendo or else inappropriately and intelligently avoiding having to answer. This was followed by Emma responding with a statement designed to put him down, but also showed how she was willing to play along, occasionally showing a flirtatious side to her that Regina hadn't thought possible existed.

There was definitely history here, and no doubt an interesting back story to these two complex people who appeared to have formed an unlikely comradeship. Regina had very little desire to learn of it.

"...and after kicking around for a while, I left. I ended up here through almost complete coincidence." Regina heard the blonde say.

"It's never coincidence when you move nearer to me, love. It's destiny." He offered with a sly grin.

Emma just scoffed and rolled her eyes, dropping back slightly to walk more in line with Regina, indicating the end of what had been an adequately long conversation.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude." He said, looking back at Regina. "Where are you from, love?" He asked.

Emma cut in. "I believe I told you last night, Killian, that she is none of your concern." Regina, rather than being grateful as most would, felt belittled that Emma was under the impression that Regina needed someone to fight her battles for her.

"I'm intrigued." He said, roaming eyes demonstrative. "Why would someone like her be in the company of someone like you?"

"Someone like me?" Asked Regina before Emma could say any more. She pointedly ignored the angry scowl the blonde sent her way.

"Ah, she speaks!" Cheered the captain triumphantly. "Yes, love. You ain't from the woods like dear Emma here, your dress is fine, you look well groomed. A woman of class is a sight for sore eyes, I'll tell you now." He said.

Regina laughed rather harshly. "I can hardly be called that anymore."

Hook looked intrigued, but having caught a warning glare from Emma, who would rather get herself and her associates involved in Regina's life as little as possible, settled for just smirking while observing them walking along side each other.

"You two are a _very_ odd pair, you know that?"

"We're not a pair." Said Emma bluntly, and Regina made no move to argue. "We're together through necessity, and it will definitely not be a permanent arrangement. It is a situation purely of convenience."

He raised a hand and a hook in mock surrender. "Whatever you say it is love, I'm sure that's what it is. I was merely stating how unlikely a team you are. You make it work somehow, though. I'm still trying to figure it out."

With a smirk over his shoulder, he took a few lunging steps up the hill as they neared the top. Regina was slightly caught off guard by someone referring to her and Emma collectively, something she supposed she'd have to just get used to.

As they reached the summit, Regina was panting slightly while neither of the other two looked even remotely strained. Regina joined them at the crest and looked down into the quaint little harbour, fishing and trading boats bobbing about on their moor lines. It was fairly obvious which vessel they were heading for; there was only one galleon anchored up; a beautiful ship with a dark wood hull and swan white sails. Regina was slightly disappointed that the faint breeze wasn't stirring a skull and crossbones flag upon the mast; a little too conspicuous and stereotypical, she guessed.

"There she is!" Cried Hook proudly, ambling down the hill towards the docks. "My pride and joy."

Regina and Emma followed as he approached the Jolly Roger. There were members of the crew crawling over the deck, scrubbing and tying and pulling and shouting. The smile of Hook's face was as big as the sea itself as he took in Regina's ill-concealed expression of appreciation. Emma looked nonchalant; Regina reckoned she must be used to it by now.

The gangplank was lowered as crew members watched the captain approach. Several were singing over the top of each other; the words muffled and the tune highly questionable, but Regina felt excitement swell in her. A pirate ship, a real one, and she'd been invited on board by the captain. She hid her anticipation.

Once the three had climbed onto the deck, Hook greeted his crew and then, remembering his guests, turned to face them.

"Welcome aboard, ladies!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm still collecting myself after that last BEAUTIFUL SwanQueen fanfiction that passed as the last episode of Once. I hardly noticed the OutlawQueen if I'm honest, which is definitely a good thing! This won't compare, but hopefully will tide you over until it becomes inevitably endgame.**

**I've upped the rating because I've decided that I may need it in the future, if there's sufficient interest.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. If I did, every episode would be like Witch Hunt.**

**Please leave a review!**

**Chapter 9**

"This is Emma and Regina, they won't be here for long, but while they are here, I want everyone to remain _civil._" Hook addressed his crew. "If I suspect anyone's intentions are anything less that pristine, I will personally see to it that you are punished." His tone was light but from the shuffling on deck, Regina supposed he was not a particularly complacent captain.

"Right ladies, how about you two go down to my cabin? I have some spare clothes if you wish to wash your own, since it's unlikely they'll be a similar opportunity for a while. I'll brief my crew on what to do when I'm gone."

Emma nodded. "Thank you, Killian. Come on, princess."

Regina was getting sick of being ordered about, but she wasn't in a position to argue.

The floor swayed slightly with the gentle waves as the two women made their way below deck, leaving Hook to talk to his crew above. The ship was, as most ships; unclean and cramped, but after they passed the crew cabin and the saloon, the smell lessened slightly.

Regina chose not to comment on the fact that Emma knew the way to the captain's quarters with an apparent lack of thought.

Pushing open double doors, the blonde, in her usual manner, made herself at home immediately. She threw herself down in the chair at the captain's desk, swinging booted legs onto the worn wooden surface as Regina hovered awkwardly in the threshold, unsure of what to do.

"He'll have a washroom behind the screen." Emma said after a moment of silence, indicating to the section of the room partitioned off by an oriental-looking screen.

"So why are you still here?" Asked Regina suspiciously.

Emma looked affronted. "I'm letting you go first, I'm being polite." She explained.

"Oh, that would explain why I was confused at the unusual occurrence." Said Regina flippantly. If Emma took the prod to heart, she didn't show it.

The brunette took advantage of the facilities, washing her entire body and soaking her dress clean. She decided to do the same with her undergarments so called out.

"Miss Swan?"

Emma snorted and replied in a mocking tone. "Yes, ma'am, what is it that you require from me?"

She didn't fully process that this was the kind of address Regina was used to.

"Is there anything for me to change into? Just while my clothes dry." She called from behind the screen.

Emma was shocked at the change in attitude, but said nothing and searched for some of Hook's more ordinary garments.

"He doesn't have any silk-trimmed gowns I'm afraid, princess." She said, tossing a shirt and trousers over the screen to Regina, who donned them quickly and without thought.

She felt uncomfortably plain when she emerged, clean, into the main section of the room. She'd washed, combed through and tied back her hair and the male clothes hung off her curvaceous frame in an oddly distorting way. She wasn't like Emma, she could never look wholly comfortable in men's clothes as the blonde could, but Emma realized she'd seen many people look much worse than Regina did then.

She smirked and stifled laughter all the same at the clearly aggravated expression that her companion wore. Regina scowled and stalked over to the other side of the room, sitting heavily in the armchair by the large windows overlooking the sea and trying hard not to think about what had happened in that room, and indeed in that chair, previously. Emma heaved herself up and went to clean herself up while Regina took the opportunity to look around the cabin. Hook was evidently a collector of numerous interesting things. He had a glass-fronted cupboard dedicated entirely to a display of delicate-looking equipment that on closer inspection, Regina assumed were for navigation, judging by all the spindles, dials and lenses. The desk that Emma had recently vacated had several maps spread out on it, overlapping each other, with a complex compass and a letter written in a symbol language she didn't understand on top of them. His wardrobe was tucked away in a corner, grand and ornate, but the thin layer of dust coating it implied that it hadn't been opened in a while, something Regina didn't find surprising.

She found a certain thrill in exploring the cabin of a pirate captain; an experience she had entertained the idea of in her childhood, but had soon dismissed once she came of age. He had his own miniature armoury in a chest, containing a plethora of swords, daggers and pistols. He had keys hanging on a hook by the door that had no labels and could feasibly open anything. His bed was large and unmade and, despite telling herself she was being ridiculous, she steered clear of it. She heard Emma splashing water over herself behind the screen, and felt oddly comforted at this one growing familiarity in an otherwise completely alien environment.

"Finished snooping around yet, princess?" asked Emma, returning into view wearing her own selection of Hook's spare clothes, which, as predicted, looked much better on her than they would have done on Regina.

"Almost." Answered Regina, opening the drawers of his desk and observing the stacks of papers and various stationary. Hook seemed like an oddly organised pirate.

"Well once you've amused yourself sufficiently, we should go and find Hook and he can show us this map. The sooner we leave, the better." She said, drying her hair off with a newly acquired cloth. Her curls now hung in damp limp tendrils, almost brown in colour.

Regina sighed and looked down at her attire with a grim expression. She hardly knew the man and was already wary of him, yet was wearing his clothes and washing in his quarters.

Emma noticed the hesitance and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, stop worrying. No one gives a shit about how you look here."

"I know that!" Snapped Regina. _I care, however. _

Emma guessed what she was thinking. "You're a vision, my dear, an angel of such beauty they shall have to avert their eyes." She said with a flourish, before heading for the door. Regina scoffed at the dry tone, but followed nonetheless.

On deck, several glances were cast their way and many members of the crew hurriedly approached to greet Emma and ask how she was faring, all of whom she greeted by name. Hook stood by the wheel, discussing something with a member of his crew who wore a red woollen hat and looked obscenely nervous. Emma showed no hesitance in climbing the stairs and approaching the captain in his own clothes. He caught sight of them and smirked and Regina realized that such an expression would have been repulsive had it not been on such a good-looking face.

"What a treat! I can't decide if I want you to keep my clothes or if I want them back afterwards."

Emma was having none of it.

"Look, Killian, we're here for a reason, and we'd rather get going as soon as possible, so could we see this map now?" She said.

Hook glanced at the sailor next to him "That's all, Smee. Just make sure we have sold plenty of it before our next voyage." Smee nodded his head and scuttled off.

"I suppose you had better follow me then, ladies."

Hook led them to a small door below deck that they hadn't even registered on passing the first time. He pulled a key out of his pocket and slid it into the lock, twisting it and pushing the door open. The room was stuffy and the air tasted stale, unoccupied, he struck a match and lit the gas lamp perched precariously on a trunk. It was made up almost entirely of shelves and boxes, stuffed to the brim with a myriad of seemingly useless objects, although Emma suspected Hook would never keep anything unnecessary on his ship. He picked his way over to a chest at the very back of the room that required another key. Having unlocked and opened it, he began to rifle through the contents; predominantly leafs of paper and leather bound books. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a piece of yellowing parchment and handed it to Emma before re-locking the chest.

"There's your map, love. It's old, you may need my assistance."

"I'm sure we can manage." Said Emma, but on opening out the parchment, furrowed her brow in confusion at what she saw.

Hook laughed, the sound echoing round the small room.

"Confusing, isn't it? Come on, we'll go back to my cabin, I'll talk you through it."

Gathered round his desk in the captain's cabin, Emma and Regina squinted in confusion at what was apparently a map in front of them. Hook sat in the chair, spreading the parchment out and examining lines and drawings he'd furiously poured over again and again until he'd made sense of them and had them practically memorised. He had decided that, if he couldn't physically kill the crocodile, he could at least learn the location that he'd been trying to keep a secret.

"Wait, it doesn't make any sense?" Said Emma, missing the way Hook tensed as she leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look.

Regina was equally puzzled. As a well-educated individual, she had expected this part of their quest to be the easiest for her to follow. The map was oddly set out: as opposed to the usual bird's eye view of the land, it had fold markings crisscrossing it and distorted images that Regina thought she would have been able to understand if they had been of normal proportions.

"You're not looking at it from the right angle." Remarked Hook, and began to fold edges of the map over, twisting it round and folding it again and again over some lines, completely ignoring others. Regina felt sudden respect for the man; it was a highly complicated map and he'd evidently learnt how to read it, which would definitely take a certain level of determination and intelligence.

Once he had finished, he spun the map around and leaned back in his seat so the two women could get a better look.

The folding of the parchment had rendered the map slightly more legible. Trees depicting the forest that had been disproportionally tall before now looked normal, and the hills appeared raised from the page. Regina still struggled to completely comprehend it, but at least it appeared more like a real landscape now.

"He lives here." Proclaimed Hook, pointing to a black dot drawn on top of a hill. "…And…we are…here." He said, pointing to a section of the coast. Even on the map, the distance between the two points looked sizeable.

Emma sighed. "How long will that take?"

"It depends which route we take. If we cut across the hills, which will be more exposed and potentially more dangerous for outlaws like you and I, lass, I'd say just over a week, maybe two. If we go round the hills, through the forest, round the lake, past the marshland and through those villages there, a lot longer, but would be safer and there'd be more opportunity for food and shelter and information and the like." He explained.

Unexpectedly, Emma glanced up and locked eyes with Regina. She was evidently debating with herself, and for some reason, staring at a silent Regina helped her to reach it.

"No, the hills are too risky. If we get caught in a storm out there with no shelter, we'll be in serious danger. Besides, if exhaustion from climbing doesn't kill us then the animals out there will, even with protection. We'll go through the forest." She decided.

Hook nodded, though whether he approved of her decision or not wasn't clear. Emma had clearly established herself as the leader and this remained unchallenged.

"Ok. Then we'll need to take supplies…"

"We needn't take much; extra baggage will just slow us down."

"We can't go wandering of without any food or money-"

"I manage every day. We'll take money, and if there's nowhere to get food from, we'll forage and hunt for it. You may be the navigator, but when it comes to living in the wild, I have the most experience. I bet this is the longest you've ever been away from home, isn't it princess?" The last jab received only a mildly scathing look in return.

"Fine, you're the boss. We'll take gold and weapons and only the bare essentials otherwise. Should we have someone accompany us? Smee's pretty much useless in a fight but he could help with carrying things." Hook offered.

Emma shook her head. "Having a pirate, a runaway and an outlaw in the same group is a risk already, I have no intention of increasing the number of people on the guard's Wanted List."

"If you're sure…"

"I am."

"Good. We'll leave tomorrow."

"We'll leave now."

"I can't leave my crew-"

"You were eager enough to leave them when you signed up for this."

"There are beds and food here, rest for the night, we'll leave tomorrow."

"Then that's another day lost and another day longer the journey will take."

"You might as well make use of what I have on board before we go gallivanting off into the wilderness."

Emma turned to glare at him. "You know what, Killian, I don't—"

The rest of her sentence was cut of by an almighty bang, and the entire boat was thrown to one side, causing the three people in the cabin to grab onto what they could to steady themselves. Hook was immediately on his feet as the sound of gunshots and panicked shouting came from above. They exchanged second-long, terrified glances before rushing on to deck one after the other to view the carnage that had erupted.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for the response to the last chapter! This one was SO much fun to write, so I hope it makes sense.**

**DISCLAIMER: Once Upon A Time is not mine *****sigh***

**Please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 10**

It was chaos. Dozens of identically dressed soldiers were boarding the ship at a rapid pace. Many had unsheathed swords and were swiping at any pirate that they could reach. The crew had immediately leapt into action, wielding daggers and cutlasses and firing pistols wherever they saw black leather.

"Royal guards!" Shouted Hook over the racket. "Quick, get below deck! Both of you!"

Emma laughed. "Like hell! There's no way you're having all the fun!"

"Well get _her_ out of the way!" He ordered, firing his pistol with such precision that it struck a guard right between his eyebrows.

Emma grabbed Regina's arm in a death grip, dragging her down the steps and towards Hook's cabin once more. Slamming the doors shut behind them with such force that the glass rattled, she rushed to grab her bow and quiver, snatching a sword from the chest in the corner as she passed.

A passing thought swam through Regina's startled mind that the blonde looked really quite radiant when this exhilarated.

"Right, princess. Welcome to the real world. You've got to stay here. Keep silent, I can't afford to have you injured. Do _not_ do anything stupid."

Regina looked like she was about to argue but Emma held up a hand to silence her.

"Save it, princess. I've made up my mind. Stay. Here." She said, stern but not angry.

Regina conceded defeat. "Good luck, Swan. Be careful."

Emma gave her a smirk. "With any luck, I shouldn't need luck!" And with that she disappeared, streaming up the stairs to the fight above.

The soldier's sword caught his hook and held it there while he pushed him against the rail of the ship, his dagger still an inch away from the captain's stomach due to Hook's strength. The captain's sword had been slashed out of his hand and lay a few feet away, just out of reach.

"_Captain Hook_! It seems you can't hide from us forever." The guard sneered.

The captain would have retorted with something witty and arrogant that would have ultimately gotten him killed, but didn't have the chance to, as a whistling was the only warning before the guard slumped forward limply, an arrow buried deep in his back.

Hook pushed the body off himself and snatched up his sword, offering a thankful salute to the blonde, who stood at the helm in his clothes, blonde hair whipping about her face, bow in hand and possibly never looking more in her element. It was a breath-taking sight that he could only appreciate for a few seconds before he was launched into another fight with more black-clad, determined stupidity.

The fighting was disorganised and hectic, soldiers appearing from nowhere and yet the pirates felling one after another. Emma spun round when she heard another approaching from behind, slicing the hand off the one she was fighting and slashing the one behind across the stomach. She watched with a certain satisfaction as he fell to his knees, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. She would have finished him if she hadn't been preoccupied with the other, now a permanent impersonation of the captain who, angered by the loss of half his arm, charged at her with new vigour. She dropped into a roll, managing to bury her dagger into his thigh, sending him crashing to the floor to join his comrade who was now fairly stationary, moaning in pain and clutching his stomach. Their final cries rose together as she put them out of their misery.

"Emma!" Shouted one of the pirates. Connor, his name was.

He stumbled up to her, staunching the bleeding on his shoulder.

She saw where his line of vision was and ducked as he raised his gun, hearing the shot fired and the bullet bury into the collarbone of the soldier who had been creeping up on her.

"Connor, how many more are there?!" She asked, taking in the blood-stained deck with worried eyes. Hook fought on, seemingly uninjured. Bodies littered the floor; several pirates, a few of whom she recognised, many guards.

"I don't know! They just keep coming!" He said, firing a shot at two soldiers who had a smaller pirate surrounded. One fell, causing the other to look up in alarm and giving the small man enough time to hit him over the head with an empty bottle, toppling him also.

"We have the advantage in skill because we've had more experience, but numbers are definitely on their side!" He said.

"Look out!" She cried, reaching for an arrow on reflex and shooting it directly into the chest of a guard making a rapid ascent up the stairs, mace in hand.

The battle continued. Emma had little time to consider how the royal guard had found the pirate ship; Hook was impeccably careful usually and the land was so vast that mooring at a harbour for a few days rarely attracted any official attention.

As she thought it over whilst impaling a soldier on her sword and pinning him to the mast with it, she caught sight of the head of the legion; a position she'd come to recognise by the red trimming on his uniform. He was currently threatening Smee with his sword, the plump man trembling as he shakily loaded his pistol in preparation. Emma made a quick decision.

Running forward, she seized the leader from behind and threw him to the ground, quickly pinning him down with a foot on his throat. She bent down and held her dagger above him.

"You have about ten seconds to live. If you want to increase it, tell me how you found this ship." She said in an icy calm tone.

Face turning purple through lack of air, the leader choked out a reply that she couldn't understand, so loosened the pressure slightly. The weakened force was enough for the obviously strong man to regain his balance of the situation and push her off him, scrambling to his feet and picking up his blade. Emma was quick, however, and shot an arrow before he could fully process what she had done. It struck him where she had intended it to; his shoulder. He cried out and stumbled backwards, making it easier for her to pin him against the railings.

"I said," she breathed, face close to his as the latter's drained of colour. "How did you find us?"

"You're Emma Swan." He choked through the pain.

"That's not what I asked you." She said, pushing the tip of her dagger into his stomach hard enough to break the skin. He gasped.

"We're on high alert, the Queen has been kidnapped and we are to track down those responsible. Pirates were pretty high up our list, we offered a fortune for information, it wasn't long before we were tipped off that the Jolly Roger was harboured in this town." He spluttered.

Emma frowned; high alert did not bode well for their mission. She had never cared about the affairs of the royals. She severely hoped whoever had managed to capture the Queen killed her quickly so the land could be rid of one more royal cretin and she could get back to her quest without the added threat.

"Have you seen her? Is she on board? I could make it worth your while if you betray these friends of yours..." His hurried, terrified ramblings fell on deaf ears as she ran her dagger through his vital organs, letting him collapse to the floor.

Seeing their leader killed ignited a last-ditch attempt in the soldiers, tearing sails and slicing ropes and killing crew members; anything to inconvenience them in any way. Hook carried on strong, Emma joined his side to tackle three particularly large guards, one of whom took a swing at Emma with his axe and narrowly missed chopping her head of. She caught sight of a small, severed lock of golden blonde hair drifting down to the floor.

Hook shot one straight through the heart, and he fell down the stairs, taking out another who had come to their aid. Emma shot another through the temple with an arrow and they both stabbed the third with their swords, one on each side, and watched with pride and a newly discovered bloodlust as he toppled over the railings and into the sea, creating a huge splash.

They'd been so busy that they hadn't noticed that the last few soldiers had run below deck until Emma saw them disappearing into the darkness.

"Regina." She said breathlessly.

"I'll go." Said Hook.

"Your crew is severely depleted." She said, indicating to the mess on deck, the remaining pirates finishing off the rest of the guards.

"Come down when you've seen to them. They're your priority, she's mine." Said Emma, panting from the exertion and adrenaline.

Hook nodded silently, dabbing at a cut on his cheek and taking off towards his crew. Emma made her way below deck at an astounding pace.

There were five soldiers that she could see downstairs. She slunk through the shadows, staying out of their sight as they kicked open doors in their search for evidence of piracy. One of them carried a bottle with him, the content of which was unclear until he began to pour it on the wooden floor. He produced a match and she came to the correct conclusion a second before he dropped it into the liquid.

_Alcohol._

The flames leapt up immediately, climbing up wooden walls and forming a wall in front of the captain's cabin. Emma's throat closed up.

She ran forwards as the five burst through the double doors, leaping over the fire that had spread to inside Hook's cabin and was now filling the room with smoke. She arrived in the doorway just in time to see what followed.

Regina stood in the middle of the room, shielding herself from the flames with magic and sending balls of crackling blue energy at the soldiers who approached her. One struck a man across the head and blew it clean off, another hit a guard in the chest and blasted him backwards into the fire. Emma could see Regina weakening visibly, and so resorted to more common techniques. Sword in hand, she ran at one of the three remaining and plunged it into his chest without even flinching. She swung the blade round and slit the throat of the second, crimson blood spurting out and coating her chest and face. She approached the last one, Emma was frozen to the spot with shock, but the flames grew bigger and bigger and she realised that if they stayed for much longer, they'd be burnt to a crisp. She heard the guard gasp and watched with confusion as he looked at the woman before him; her face a deathly vision in the firelight.

"Your Majesty?" He stammered. "Ma'am, you must-"

Emma gasped audibly as Regina thrust her hand straight into his chest and pulled out his still-beating heart, the gold glow indicating magic.

He choked out a plea, but Emma watched in awe as Regina crushed the heart in her hand as if it were a dry leaf. The guard crumbled and Regina finally came out of her trance.

"Regina! We've got to go now!" Shouted Emma over the roar of the now overbearing fire.

Regina nodded and ran towards the door, before stopping and turning back, rushing to the captain's desk and quickly grabbing what Emma realised must be the map, badly singed by the look of it.

Coughing out lungfuls of smoke, the women stumbled out of the burning cabin, leaning on each other for support, and ascending the stairs onto the deck, clean cold air sweet in their airways.

Both collapsed and fell about coughing and gasping, rubbing soot from their eyes and mouths.

As Regina struggled to her feet, Emma stared at her with confusion. The crew took buckets of sea water below deck and set about putting out the fire, and once recovered, the two women assisted them, still saying no word to each other.

Once the fire was out and the sizeable damage assessed. Hook came back on deck and approached the two of them, sitting in bewildered silence as the pirates removed the bodies and started to scrub the blood off the deck.

"The map's badly damaged," Emma informed him, holding out the blackened parchment. "It's unreadable."

"Oh god, what are we going to do?" Asked Hook hopelessly.

"We'll come to that later. First, princess..." Emma addressed Regina, then trailed off at her use of the nickname that had become second nature but suddenly tasted bitter in her mouth.

"You have some explaining to do."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback, it means a lot! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Once, I don't own a boat, I don't even own a map…**

**Please leave a review!**

**Chapter 11**

"Not in front of him." Said Regina quietly.

"Hey, whatever needs to be said can be said in front of me. You're on my ship after all..." Said Hook, breathing heavily as his energy left him.

Regina looked imploringly at Emma and shook her head minutely. Something in obsidian eyes made Emma falter.

"Leave us, Hook." She said, not taking her eyes off Regina.

"Excuse me-"

"Now, Hook! Please!" She hissed.

Hook looked disgruntled, but left the two alone.

Emma shifted her weight from foot to foot, observing Regina through untrusting eyes. Regina looked sheepish, and slightly ashamed for once, avoiding Emma's gaze.

"You've been lying to me." Stated Emma.

Regina didn't confirm or deny it. Emma sighed and rubbed her hand over her face.

"Regina..." She trailed off, contemplative. "Such a lovely name. So...elegant. So...regal. I know that name. I'd heard it somewhere. I couldn't place it, but it's not like it's a common name. It wasn't until he addressed you that my slow brain finally put the pieces together..."

Regina swallowed hard and for the first time since they'd met, actually looked worried. She raised her eyes to Emma's; a flicker of defiance still present.

"I didn't trust you. How on earth could I trust you with knowing who I am? You'd have handed me over in a heartbeat and I wouldn't have blamed you. The reward for my return would keep you comfortable for years."

"I wouldn't have done that."

"Now look who's lying." She said, looking up at Emma from her seat on a barrel. Somewhere in a dark part of her that was stubborn as hell knew she was right.

"You've led me on this whole time. Do you have _any_ idea how screwed we'd both be if we came across the royal guard? You were willing to put us both in that much danger because you were, what...ashamed?"

"I didn't mislead you. I just...didn't tell you the _whole_ truth..."

"Oh yeah because the fact that you're the fucking Queen isn't something that would come up in any of the many conversations we've had." She said, her tone was loathsome and bitter.

Regina had the decency to look slightly disgraced. "Emma, I'm sorry." The blonde didn't miss the use of her name, the first time it had fallen from her lips. "You're right, I should have told you. You had a right to know what you were signing up for. I can only apologise."

Emma looked like she was debating with herself, looking at the floor, out to sea, up at the cloudless sky; anywhere but Regina.

"So, the person you're running from..."

Regina nodded. "The King. You have no idea what it's like living in that prison."

Emma scoffed. She thought of the life she'd lived; being tossed from one place to another as a parentless child and then being kicked about constantly before she learned to defend herself and to fight to survive. Perhaps Regina hadn't been happy in her marriage, but a life of luxury couldn't possibly compare to what Emma had suffered.

"You're just a spoilt little girl out on her own for the first time since the silver spoon was taken from her mouth." She spat.

Regina said nothing. It was not a good time for her notorious temper to rear its head.

"But Queen or not, I need you." She sighed. "I hope you understand that you've made this ten times more difficult for me."

Emma felt stupid, and she didn't like feeling stupid. She had every mind to throw the woman overboard, knowing that in the past she would never have risked sullying herself with learning to swim. The fact remained, however, that there was no way she could get her son back without magic on her side. This led onto another thing she wished to confront Regina about.

"When they came for you...I saw you fight them off...you-you know how to use a sword?"

Regina nodded. "I was taught by my father when I was younger."

"And your magic was...was it-?"

"Yes. It was dark magic. I'm educated in that as well."

This scored points in her favour as Emma thought of the benefits of having a dark sorceress on her side, however lacking in precision.

"You...you-_ripped his heart out…_"

"Yes I did. It's become quite a skill of mine." The flat tones in which Regina delivered this information showed no pride, but no remorse either. She sounded defeated, hollow, numb.

Emma sighed again; perhaps she had been too harsh. She quickly dismissed this though; the stuck-up little liar deserved to feel ashamed.

Still, there was only one way she was going to have her son back in good time.

She ran a hand through tangled blonde curls and looked up at the darkening sky.

"I guess Hook gets his way after all. We'll leave tomorrow at dawn."

Regina looked up, relief evident but unacknowledged. "But, the map-"

"I have an idea." Said Emma curtly before heading off towards where Hook had been standing under the mast.

Regina tilted her head back on her shoulders. The use of magic had worn her out almost as much as the confrontation with Emma had. She gritted her teeth and exhaled heavily through her nose, standing up and stretching before going below deck to the cargo locker where her dress remained miraculously undamaged alongside Emma's clothes.

"What's the damage, captain?" Asked Emma softly. Sympathy, though not her strong point, was something she knew when to use.

"Could be worse. We've lost five men and most of my cabin is damaged, buts salvageable. It's bad luck that the map was out in the open. I'll need to restock my clothes and a fair amount of books and a few mainsheets that they slashed but otherwise, not too catastrophic." The optimism in his words was counteracted by the crestfallen look on his face.

Emma patted his arm encouragingly. "You did well, Killian. You did all you could."

"Thanks." He muttered. The guilt and pain of such invasion was evident in how unusually quiet he was.

"What were you talking to Regina about?" He asked, attempting to change the subject.

Emma shook her head. "Turns out she hasn't been entirely truthful. Nothing major, just something I was angry about. I'm worried I overreacted a little."

Hook gave a short, quiet laugh. "That lass is made of strong stuff, born survivor, she is. She'll be fine. I'm still not sure how she managed to take out all five of those soldiers, grab the map _and_ escape with you before she was scorched to a cinder." He remarked.

"It was...impressive." Was all she said on the matter.

"Emma, you're welcome to stay the night, but-"

"I get it." She interrupted. "You can't leave your crew. Perfectly understandable."

"We're going to sail off, make ourselves scarce for a while until all this unrest blows over. I'm sorry the map's destroyed. You're welcome to take it with you if it's at all legible..."

"It isn't, but hopefully I can restore it. There's a lake not far from here. The water is said to bring back what was lost. It's our best shot."

"You believe that?" He asked sceptically.

"I don't have another option." She said, staring unseeingly into the distance.

"Well in that case, the two of you should go on. Make sure to let me know when you manage to weaken the Dark One's defences." He said.

"We will. I'll make sure you're first in line to take you revenge on him."

"I reckon it will be a very long line." He quipped. She smiled as a glimmer of his humour re-entered his eyes.

"Thank you, Hook." She said sincerely. He turned to face her and considered. He brushed a stray curl out of her face.

"Emma I know I spend a lot of the time being sarcastic and shallow, but if you ever need somewhere to lie low, or if you...I don't know...perhaps ever want a place to settle, the Jolly Roger's gangplank is always down for you."

Emma nodded in thanks, showing comprehension, before offering him a genuine smile and stepping away.

As he watched her walk away, Hook asked himself what more she wanted him to do, who she wanted him to prove he was just so she'd take him seriously. He knew that it would never be easy, and she was well aware of everything he'd done that he regretted...and that he didn't...and the way she looked at him would never change, he knew that much. He wished she wasn't so stubborn sometimes, but he was secretly proud of how she had grown from a skinny little urchin into the strong and frankly extraordinary woman she was now. In a way, he wished she hadn't met him when she was young, he wished he had a second chance to make a first impression. He wished he hadn't used her, hadn't asked for her body in return for his help. He didn't regret it, but that was how she would think of him now; an acquaintance who she could even consider a friend until he invited her into his bed. She deserved someone better, he knew, someone who wasn't decades older than her; despite constantly looking her age. Someone who was her knight in shining armour. He laughed a little to himself at this thought: if Emma ever came across a knight, she'd probably slit his throat and steal his horse. He hoped she was happy. He hoped she'd stay happy. He hoped she would find her son, hoped they would start being a proper family, something he could never offer her, and even if he did, she wouldn't accept. She'd just have to make it to the Crocodile's home without getting too antagonistic with Regina. The brunette may look delicate, but Hook wasn't sure who'd come out worse in a fight. The rich girl may be out of her depth, but she was certainly resourceful.

Who knows? Perhaps they would end up settling their differences and even build an unlikely friendship. The thought was slightly formidable.

They ate with the crew that night. The alcohol livened everyone up a bit to the point where they could laugh and shout across the table while efficiently ignoring the elephant in the room, namely the fact that five of them were missing. Hook cheered up, Regina noticed the pensive way he looked at Emma, but didn't know what to make of it.

The blonde had been passive towards Regina since their confrontation. Not ignoring her, just avoiding interaction beyond minimal responses. Regina should have been relieved at the lack of inevitable bickering, but she felt bereft for a reason she didn't fully understand.

The atmosphere was tense as they lay in the cabin they'd been assigned that night, Emma in the bunk above Regina, both still awake but completely silent. Regina knew her explanation had been insufficient. She knew that Emma knew she still hadn't told the whole truth about her situation. Regina had spent so long hating everyone she came into contact with, the feeling of shame and what she would almost call sadness at the loss of familiarity, that of a common criminal nonetheless, was completely foreign and she didn't know how to amend it.

Emma was used to having her trust broken, and she would recover from this incident quickly, she knew. She wasn't like Hook; she wouldn't hold a grudge, especially not about something that was comparatively insignificant. However, she would look at the brunette - at the _Queen_ - in an entirely new light now.

Both just hoped that they could keep their emotions under control, get this over and done with as civilly as possible and then part ways forever.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thought people might be needing a pick-me-up after all this OutlawQueen. Be patient, friends. Thus, a long chapter to assuage you.**

**100+ follows is amazing, thanks so much, it inspires me to write.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Once.**

**Chapter 12**

The sun rose over the horizon, setting the sea on fire. The light was thrown along the deck of the pirate ship, part of the jibmast carved out by the blade of an axe. A spare sail lay spread across the planks; half stitched back up after being slashed. Below deck, the captain slept in the main cabin with his crew, his personal quarters having been severely fire damaged to the point where his bed was virtually a pile of ash, and the only other private cabin having been graciously given over to his two female guests. The women in question were awake, despite the early hour, the blonde dressed in her own unconventional clothes and the brunette half-clad in her fine red velvet dress, facing the wall as the other tied her corset.

Their exchanges after they'd woken had been icy, memories of the day before still fresh. Regina had asked Emma to lace up her bodice again, and it wasn't as if the blonde could refuse; Regina going above deck with the back of her dress hanging open on a ship of lonely pirates would not bode well for them leaving promptly and with as little fuss as possible.

There was a certain tangible tension in the air as Emma wove the laces through the eyes of the corset. Her head was a complex myriad of ideas and emotions and worries, most of which centred around the woman she'd been travelling with; the "kidnapped" Queen of the kingdom. She was debating whether continuing on their journey was worth the risk as she worked away without thought. She had waited so long to find a way to get to her son, and now she had one, was she really going to pass it up because it got a bit more dangerous? Danger was something she thrived on, even needed, and though it was growing worse by the second, was she to pass up this opportunity because being caught by the royal guard would mean certain death?

She pushed these tumultuous thoughts from her head, focusing instead on the smooth expanse of lightly tanned skin in front of her. Emma bore the scars of a lifetime of accidents, squabbles and close shaves, Regina's skin was a blank canvas of graceful, unmarred perfection. She had the oddest urge to reach forward and run her calloused fingertips over the length of her spine, just to see if it felt as soft as it looked, an urge she only just managed to suffocate.

She pulled the laces taut and tied them off without comment. Even trying to distract herself from thoughts of Regina led to her thinking of another aspect of her. She couldn't wait until the time when she didn't have to look at her every day.

She moved away from the now-dressed brunette and watched as she tied silky hair back in the style that was quickly becoming iconic.

"We leave after we've eaten." She stated, leaving no room for discussion, before striding out of the cabin, leaving Regina to sit on her temporary bunk for a moment, once more contemplating her situation, and the bizarre series of events that had landed her in it.

Emma looked forlornly down at the blackened parchment in her hands. The odd shape was even more distorted now and the lines and markings were charred until illegible. She willed her blind hope in the legend of the magic lake to be justified, thus restoring the map to something she could read once more. She mostly remembered the first stretch of the journey the map had shown, and was disheartened as the lake was off their path. It would mean another day's travelling at the very least, and that was if they didn't run into trouble. Having heard stories about the beast that guarded the lake, and the creatures inhabiting the woods that surrounded it, she wasn't overly optimistic.

She glanced up to catch sight of Regina leaning over the side of the ship, soft sea breeze teasing errant dark curls from their restraints. She looked to just be breathing the ocean in. Emma wondered if this is the first time she'd ever properly seen the sea.

The group of sailors working to clear the splinters of wood off the deck were whispering among themselves, nervous glances cast in Regina's direction. Obviously a young and seemingly privileged girl defeating five armed soldiers did not go unnoticed on a pirate ship, and was evidently a topic of discussion. The woman in question was aware of the gossip and the stolen glances, and had adopted the haughty expression of one who is forced into the company of those she considers beneath her against her will. Emma wondered if the distaste for the "commoners" who had housed her was genuine or just a defence mechanism.

"I hope this water you speak of works." Said Hook over her shoulder, having approached silently.

Emma sighed. "It'll have to, otherwise we're lost again."

"It must be nice to not be tied to anything." He mused after a pause. She frowned in confusion.

"That is to say, I thought I was free, and then something happened and suddenly I'm tied to this ship, to the crew, unable to go wherever I like. I suppose everyone's got something in a way, but you've managed to do surprisingly well in avoiding it. Then again, you don't _know_ that you're tied to something until you almost lose it."

Her eyes softened. She knew how much he valued freedom, and indeed how much he valued his revenge. It was Regina's fault that he would be left behind once more. She supposed it was partially her fault as well; she'd sought him out for directions after all.

"Have you got everything you'll need?" He asked.

"Yes. Thanks for the supplies. I'll pay you back some time, I promise." She said without looking at him.

"Yes, another time." He said, loathing the suggestive tone that crept into the statement, but she smirked, nonetheless amused.

He followed her line of vision over to the unhappy looking brunette.

"Try not to kill her, Swan. She's actually quite amusing and although I reckon pretty much useless in the wild, not as helpless as she looks when it comes to defending herself. Besides, I'd hate something that beautiful to be spoilt because you lost your temper."

She glowered and he laughed. He patted her amiably on the shoulder.

"Come on, princess, time to go!" Called Emma. Regina turned to look at her, slightly taken aback by the return of communication, so much so that she complied without comment.

The two stood before the gangplank, Regina carrying the satchel, Emma armed with her bow. Emma bid farewell to the crew while the brunette stood at the side looking impatient but apprehensive.

Hook sauntered forward and shook Emma's hand, before reconsidering and pulling her into a friendly hug. Emma smirked.

"Thanks, Hook. For everything."

"The pleasure was all mine, Swan."

He turned to look at Regina. "It's been delightful, my dear. Do try to keep your eye on your goal, it's very easy to get distracted..." He said, extending a hand. Regina hesitated, but decided that common courtesy dictated that she should shake it, so she did.

With a final goodbye, the two walked down the gangplank and re-joined the land. Hook watched them hurry off over the hill, smirked to himself, then turned around to start the extensive repairs to his ship, his crew and his life.

Emma had possibly never felt a silence as uncomfortable as this. She had come to terms with the fact that she was in the presence of royalty, and had decided to live and let live, to stop giving Regina the cold shoulder since it would only make this journey feel longer than it already did. Hook was a strangely profound individual when he wanted to be, and had got Emma thinking about a lot of things. Maybe if her and Regina couldn't be friends as such, they could still make an attempt at civility and comradeship.

Observing the other woman out of the corner of her eye as they walked towards the forest to avoid the town and it's glaring eyes, she wondered how she could have ever looked at Regina and not known she was the Queen. Sure, she got involved in politics as little as possible, and so naturally had no idea what the reigning monarchs looked like, but _surely_ she wasn't so stupid that she thought Regina was just another random knight's daughter? The way she held herself, the way she spoke, the innate elegance in even the simplest of movements, even the damn diamond bracelet! All the signs were there, she just hadn't seen them! She felt like screaming at herself for being so oblivious; carelessness like that could get her killed out here.

As they moved through the foliage, heading in the direction Emma knew to be leading them to the lake, they didn't speak until they took some sea biscuits out of the satchel and Regina handed one to Emma. They ate as they walked.

"What's it like on the other side?" Emma asked ambiguously.

Regina frowned. "What?"

"What's it like in the cities? What does the palace look like? What makes up the other part of the kingdom?" _The part I don't venture into._

Regina, just grateful for the conversation, replied. "It's...big. There are a lot of people, it's busy; there's always something happening. It is a lot more corrupt than it would have anyone know, though. The backstreets and alleys and slums are dirty and impoverished, the palace is built on a hill overlooking most of the kingdom, and after my marriage I was never allowed to leave the grounds. And before now, I never had."

"Wow, that's quite a big step. What gave you the push?"

Regina looked reluctant to answer, and Emma almost took it back, before realising that she had every right to the information of the woman she was assisting.

"...it was my step-daughter's 19th birthday. A party was given, as is tradition, and she was the centre of attention for the day."

Emma climbed over a log blocking their path. She extended a hand to help Regina over, and the brunette pointedly ignored it, climbing over herself.

"I hate her." She said simply, brushing her hands off on her skirt. "I hate her very existence. Every year that she grows older, I despise her more. Every breath she takes is a breath I wish she couldn't take. A day focused solely on celebrating her is usually too much for me, so I sit through the festivities, blocking them out and trying not to tear her heart out in front of a room full of dukes and lords."

She sighed, licking rose petal lips and kicking a small rock in exasperation as she passed.

"It was too much. I have been learning magic for a while now and I struggled to contain it. She made a speech about the happiness she felt and the goodness of her father and the standard section about her mother and how much she missed her and how she drew strength from her memory. She had the _audacity_ to say that no one could understand the pain she felt through the loss of one you love so wholeheartedly when you should have been happy together. She...she said it was something she would never wish on any of us-"

The passion in Regina's words meant she had to stop to breathe and get herself under control. She would _not_ pour her heart out in front of Emma Swan.

"Dear god, what did the poor kid do to you?" Asked Emma, a sense of wonderment in her surprised tone.

Regina shook her head, swallowing heavily. "I'm not going into it."

Emma clicked her teeth. "It's a very long walk, princess."

"All you need to know is that the hate is justified and I fully intend on getting my revenge one day."

Emma gave her a sideways glance and raised her eyebrow, but said nothing. The trees shrank closer together as they delved deeper into the forest.

"Alright, I answered a question, and according to our agreement, that means you owe me an answer." Said the Queen. She had a way of talking as if she had the upper hand, despite the situation.

"That was just that night. It wasn't a long-standing agreement."

She felt dark eyes on her and saw in them a mixture of irritation and pleading. This wasn't about learning of each other's lives, this was about making sure that neither felt more exposed, it was about making sure they remained on the same level. Emma knew this was the only way they were going to progress.

"Fine. Ask away. But if it's too personal, I'm not answering it."

"How did he get your son?"

Emma debated whether or not to answer the question, before deciding that she had probably better let Regina know what they were up against.

She sighed and thought for a while about how to answer. "I was seventeen when I had him; barely an adult. I thought myself in love, perhaps I was, but his father was a coward. He came from a long line of cowards, I suppose. He made a stupid mistake, so stupid that I had to get him out of it. He got mixed up with this 'man' and the only way I could get him out of it was with my unborn child. _Our_ unborn child. I didn't realise that I could love him without knowing him. I didn't realise that his father would be too scared to help me try and get him back. I didn't realise that he despised magic so much that he'd take a portal into another world jut to escape it and what it had done to him, leaving me behind." She slashed angrily at the prongs of a fern that blocked their path.

"I didn't realise how big a mistake I had made."

Regina silently processed this new information as Emma pressed on angrily.

"I don't regret it; he would have killed my son's father if I had refused, and as far as I know, my son is still alive. At least we all survived." She finished bitterly.

Regina went out on a limb. "What's your son's name?" She asked, her voice the quietest and most gentle it had ever been.

For a moment she thought the blonde wouldn't answer, but a small smile blossomed over her face, turning her from an intimidatingly attractive stranger to a caring young woman, and Regina was surprised at how beautiful she was.

"Henry." She breathed. "His name is Henry. He'll be six years old now, and I've missed those six years of his life."

"It sounds like you couldn't help it. It sounds like you made the right decision."

"That's what I tell myself to keep me going." She said uncertainly, completely unsure as to why she was telling the obnoxious, demeaning, fiery young Queen all this, and hating the fact that her voice wavered slightly.

Then Regina surprised them both by cautiously taking Emma's hand and squeezing it, before releasing her grip again. Emma looked confused at the uncharacteristically supportive gesture, but gave a small, reluctantly grateful smile nonetheless.

"I'd better make sure we're heading in the right direction." She said quickly, dispelling the odd atmosphere that had descended.

Without warning, she slung her bow over her shoulder and hoisted herself up into the branches of a nearby tree. Regina stood below her, taken aback, as Emma pulled herself higher and higher up into the canopy overhead.

"I hate to question the expert, but what the hell are you doing, Swan?" She called up.

"I'm getting a better look." She shouted down as though it were obvious, wrapping toned arms round the trunk and vaulting up onto another branch.

She continued to climb until Regina struggled to keep track of her, obscured by green leaves. Her climbing skills were impressive; it was then that Regina remembered the first glimpse she'd caught of the blonde had been jumping down from a tree; it was probably common practice.

Raising her head above the level of the trees around her, Emma breathed in the open air, wind whipping blonde curls around her face. She scanned the area, taking note of where they were in relation to the hills and the town far behind them. She squinted at the seemingly endless landscape of treetops, seeing what looked to be a break in the forest: she was confident that it was where the lake was.

Clambering back down and dropping the remaining six feet to the ground, she massaged raw hands gently. "We're heading in the right direction." She announced.

Regina sighed and followed the blonde as she started to move again. She wasn't used to the physical exertion over an extended period of time. Emma dodged round the trees and boulders with ease and energy, as if she hadn't just climbed up a pretty tall tree without breaking a sweat.

Regina huffed as she followed her. "Some of us are wearing a skirt, here." She muttered.

"Hideously impractical, I've always thought."

"Forgive me for wanting to dress like a woman..."

"Yeah. I'd like to meet the person who decided that women's clothing should be so restrictive and uncomfortable just to look pretty, and punch them in the face." She said lightly.

Regina couldn't quite hold back the smirk.

"Then again, you wouldn't know any different." Said Emma.

"You'd be surprised." Commented Regina off-handedly.

Emma turned to look at her, frowning.

"I spent a lot of my youth in trousers." She explained.

Emma obviously thought this explanation insufficient. She also found it strange that Regina, who must still be in her twenties, referred to her youth as if it was long passed her.

"Excuse me, princess?"

Regina sighed, ducking round a tree to re-join Emma. "I wore trousers regularly back before I was married; they're much more practical for riding a horse, which I did day after day, much to my mother's disapproval. She always hated me dressing in an 'unladylike way'." She sneered. There was something unresolved there, Emma could tell.

"Well it's something I condone." Said Emma.

Regina was about to retort something along the lines of Emma condoning anything that meant a loss of femininity, but the words died in her mouth at the sound of a rustle in the bushes off to their left.

Emma froze, instantly alert. It wasn't a light disturbance that a bird or something similar would make; it was the stealthy approach of something much bigger. Regina stopped, eyes darting across the undergrowth, immediately tense.

"Don't...make...any...sudden movements..." Whispered Emma, as a flash of grey fur appeared among the foliage.

Regina tried to calm her racing heart, panicking would solve nothing. Emma slowly slid her bow off her shoulder and with surprisingly little noise, fitted an arrow into place, holding it down, but pointing towards the disturbance.

The rustling got nearer and nearer, approaching with intent. Regina could barely hear it over the blood rushing in her ears. Emma reassured herself that it was likely nothing. It was too small to be a man; probably just another wildcat or a small deer or something.

As the two women slowly backed into a tree, Regina subconsciously moving closer to the blonde, a growl broke the silence and the Queen stifled a gasp that she wished she didn't feel the need to let out. _Come on, Regina,_ she scolded herself;_ you can take care of yourself. _

Emma raised her bow and pulled it taut, aiming at the bushes. As they stood in silent apprehension, the culprit finally emerged.

Bright yellow eyes fixed on them immediately, dripping mouth pulled back into a snarl, revealing dagger-sharp teeth. Its fur was shaggy and grey, its legs lean, its tail ragged, completely feral and obviously malnourished and aggressive. A wolf.

Neither moved, neither dared breathe. They were easily bigger than it, but the ravenous look it wore and the ferocity with which is growled implied that it would be willing to fight to the death to sink its teeth into flesh. Emma decided it was better safe than sorry, and prepared to let loose the arrow.

She hesitated, however, at another set of footfalls, or perhaps more appropriately "pawfalls", and another beast of a similar countenance padded out of the trees behind Regina.

Emma's eyes darted back and fourth, assessing which was the bigger threat. She was well aware, however, that wolves either travelled alone, or in a pack. They rarely attacked humans unless they were desperate, and these looked pretty hungry. The stories of the victims of pack hunts that she'd heard swam to the surface, and were not something to be taken lightly and often made her stomach churn.

As predicted, more of them appeared, encircling them, trapping them against the tree. Some were small and mangy, others were considerably bigger, all looked worryingly vicious and the way they prowled forwards, getting slowly closer and closer meant that they weren't here simply to scope out the new neighbours. Emma could feel Regina's side pressed up against her own, could hear her rapid breathing. She had to make a decision, and quickly.

"When I say so, run." She said calmly, quietly, to the woman next to her who was trying desperately not to tremble.

Emma looked back at the one in front of them, the one closest, the one at whom her arrow was aimed at.

She released the arrow; it struck the creature right in the heart.

"Run!" She shouted as the wolf collapsed and its pack went wild, leaping at the two from all sides. Emma pulled Regina away from the tree and set off at a run, jumping over the fresh corpse now oozing blood and taking off into the forest at a sprint.

Regina ran like she had never run before, tearing through the trees, leaping over fallen logs, ducking round branches. She could hear the thunder of a surplus of paws behind them, the creatures barking and yelping as they gave chase. She stuck as close to Emma as she could, who loaded another arrow and shot it behind her without slowing. It wasn't as well aimed as previously, but grazed along the flank of one and buried itself in the hind leg of the one behind it.

They streamed past the trees, but, as accustomed to this climate as Emma was, the wolves had centuries of instinct ingrained into them, and soon were catching up. More arrows flew into the heart of the pack, which now consisted of around six wolves, some found their target, some didn't.

"Regina, we can't outrun them!" Emma shouted over to her. "They're too fast and there's too many of them!...Our only hope is to climb a tree..."

"Easy enough for you to say!" She shouted back, fear and adrenaline gushing through her veins as she ran faster than she had ever done in her life.

As the wolves got closer and closer, practically snapping at their heels, Emma made another split second decision.

"Up ahead! That one! It'll be easy!" She pointed to a tree ahead, wide set and with some low-hanging branches; easy to climb if they had more than a few seconds to do it in, which they didn't.

"Are you sure?!"

"Yeah, trust me, it'll be fine!"

Regina gave a small cry of fear as they got closer and closer to the aforementioned tree, not being able to slow at all. When they got within a reasonable distance, the animals hot on their tails, snarling and salivating and snapping their teeth together in anticipation, Emma leapt from the ground and clung to the tree trunk, scrambling up out of the wolves' reach on a thick branch and turning to help Regina.

The brunette followed closely behind, and Emma's heart stopped at how close the pack was now. She held out a hand.

"Come on!" She shouted sternly through gritted teeth.

Regina grabbed hold of a branch and pulled herself up the tree, reaching for Emma's hand. When there were mere inches separating them, she suddenly jerked back, crying out in pain. Emma lurched forward, grabbing her hand and pulling, catching sight of the wolf whose teeth were clamped around Regina's lower leg.

Tears spilled down smooth cheeks as the wolf pulled with all its weight on the Queen's limb. There was a moment when everything suddenly went silent and slow; brown and green met in swirling pools of terror; Emma's apologetic and guilty, Regina's hopeless and frightened. All Emma was aware of was the hand that held hers in the grip of a last hope and those impossibly dark eyes that said that this was not how she had ever imagined her last moments to be. They both clung desperately to their only hope.

And then the dainty fingers were wrenched from her grip and the Queen was dragged to the ground, the wolves converging. Emma saw her goal in her mind's eye; her wonderful, lonely son. She had to live for him. She had to find him. She had to save him. She couldn't die here in the jaws of a starving pack of wolves, trying in vain to save a virtual stranger.

With these thoughts clearly in her mind, she contradicted everything she'd just decided and leapt down from the tree, jumping to the brunette's aid in a bittersweet re-enactment of their first meeting. She unsheathed her dagger and slashed at the wolves who had swarmed on Regina, currently too terrified to protect herself. She buried the blade in one and slit the jugular of another, but there were too many of them. She felt claws rake down her side and teeth sink into her upper arm, echoing the cries of agony from her companion who was futilely kicking the things away. Her vision went red, her heartbeat thudding through her head.

_Goodbye Henry..._

A howl pierced the forest, louder and deeper than any pathetic attempts the pack had made, and it caused the animals to pause for a moment, glancing around for the source as the bleeding women did.

Crashing through the trees and into view was _another _wolf, twice the size of the others, if not more. _At least this one might finish us off quicker_ thought Emma through the haze of pain and terror. She reached out to grab a trembling, injured Regina, craving some contact in her last moments and not caring whom it was from.

The massive beast approached on huge paws, blowing air through cave-like nostrils with each pant. The wolves had all turned away from their prey to snarl at it, fur standing on end. The monster's big brown eyes darted up from the others and straight to Emma. Her stomach jolted; she _knew_ those eyes.

Then everything was a blur. The monster pounced forward onto the smaller wolves, ripping and biting and clawing wherever it could. They swarmed on it, the women forgotten, clambering over its pelt and burying their fangs into its flesh. It remained ultimately unfazed, swiping and batting and growling while Emma and Regina scooted closer together, watching with awe and trembling.

Pretty soon, the beast had sent the last of the pack scrambling off, wounded and sour, into the trees. It stood before the two of them, breathing heavily, magnificent and terrifying. Emma leant forwards, examining it. Regina remained frozen.

"R-Ruby?" She asked tentatively.

The monster threw back its head and howled. Emma's face broke into a grin.

"Thank god! You saved our lives!" She said, laughing despite the pain.

The huge wolf approached and butted its head affectionately against Emma. She smiled and stroked its thick fur.

"Thanks, girl." She sighed in relief.

The beast nudged her arm, she was bleeding from a bite mark in her bicep.

"It's fine. It isn't bleeding too badly. I'm mostly just a bit battered. I'll live I'm sure." She reassured the wolf.

Glancing over at her companion revealed her not to be in such good shape.

"Regina..." She breathed as she took in her unconscious form. The skirt of her dress was stained darker with the blood that soaked it. Scratches marked her arms and she was paler than was ever going to be healthy.

"Oh no no, no you don't. I did not almost die just to have you quit on me." She hissed.

Lifting up her skirt, her stomach turned with the sight of the mangled flesh of her calf, blood seeping out at a dangerous speed.

"Shit, Ruby, we've gotta get her patched up. Do you have a camp somewhere?"

The wolf nodded its head.

"Far?"

The wolf appeared to think, before shaking its head and looking towards the way it had come.

"Right. We'll take her there then. I do hope you don't stay like this for long, I'm going to need an extra pair of hands."

She bent down and scooped up the Queen, ignoring the screaming complaints of the wound on her arm, and carried her in the direction the wolf had indicated.

She turned round again. "Come on, you'd better lead the way."

The wolf bounded in front of her and began to trace a path through the forest, Emma carrying Regina behind it and praying for another miracle to follow another misfortune.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: My, everyone's being so lovely! Thanks so much for the positive feedback. Unfortunately, I rather stupidly decided to start posting a multi-chapter fanfiction just before potentially the most important exams of my school career. Hence, updates may be slow because it isn't my main priority at the moment, but it offers a respite, so they should come eventually! I am still several chapters ahead of posting, but the gap's closing, so sorry if it starts getting slower. Encouragement from you guys keeps me going though, and I'm fairly determined to see this through to the end. I have an ending in mind, but can't give an approximation of chapter number just yet.**

**Thanks again for all the encouragement. It's a godsend.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Once.**

**Chapter 13**

With a sickening sense of déjà vu, Regina came to her senses lying on her back in the presence of a blonde thief. Unlike before, however, Emma sat next to her, there was a roof over her head and she appeared to be lying on a bed of some sort.

She was instantly aware of the throbbing pain in her leg and screwed her eyes shut against the assault, biting her lip to stifle a whimper.

"Stop being such a drama queen." Said Emma lightly. "You're fine. You'll be up in no time."

She gently pressed something damp and warm against the wound and Regina hissed.

"I reckon you enjoy seeing me hurt." She growled.

Emma smirked, but Regina could see relief in her expression.

"What happened?" She asked, staring up at the ceiling.

"My friend came to our rescue. She chased the pack off. Oh, I should tell her you're awake."

She left the room, which appeared to be a small bedroom with standard plaster walls and the ceiling beams visible. Regina sat upright with some effort, and looked down at the lower half of her right leg and swallowed hard. It seeped blood still, but most had been wiped away and the wound cleaned. Emma had left the cloth that gave off the smell of herbs with which she had been dabbing the injury on top of it, and it was soothing. There was an almost perfect imprint of a set of sharp teeth in the otherwise flawless skin. The bite went deep, and still stung terribly to the point where Regina angrily blinked back pained tears. She inspected the rest of her form; she had scratches over a lot of her arms, but they were mostly shallow and already scabbing over. Emma had looked alright; overall, quite an impressive escape considering the size and ferocity of the wolf pack. Her stomach dropped as she recalled that agonisingly long moment which she had been certain would be her last. She remembered Emma's hand sliding from her grip, remembered falling, remembered teeth and snarls and fur and pain, then something else, something bigger, the monster driving back the pack, and then blackness. She must have been hallucinating. It couldn't possibly have been...

Emma returned, following Regina's line of vision and looking grimly at the wound. Following her was a young girl. Very young; younger than Emma, Regina suspected. She was also tall and slim, with thick dark hair, pale skin and a thin, chiselled face. Her lips were red, eyes huge and brown, and with youth had blossomed a beauty in her that Regina though odd for someone who evidently lived out there in the forest.

"Oh! You're awake! Good, we were so worried! Emma was beside herself!" Chirped the young girl. Regina cast a doubtful glance at the blonde.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "You may be exaggerating a tad there."

The girl giggled and practically skipped up to the bed. There was no way that this was the person who had saved them.

"I'm Ruby." She announced, bouncing slightly on the spot, apparently excited by her guests, despite the evident discomfort of the injured.

"Um...hello, Ruby. Thank you...for taking us in and for-...exactly how _did_ you save us?" She asked.

Ruby glanced over to Emma with what looked like a question. Emma sighed and shrugged.

"I reckon she saw enough. She's certainly not a threat, anyway." She said.

Ruby turned back to the bed. "I fought them off. I heard the commotion and recognised Emma's voice pretty quickly. I'm just sorry I couldn't get there sooner..." She cast a pointedly look at Regina's leg.

"We're just grateful you got there at all." Said Emma.

"We had probably better bandage that." Ruby said, before reaching for a clean rag on the bedside table and tearing into strips. Regina winced as she wrapped them tightly over the wound.

"How did you fight them off?" Regina cut straight to the point.

Ruby tied the bandages then sat back on the side of the bed, Emma hovering a distance behind her.

"I turned into a wolf." Said Ruby. Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes, before she realised that the young girl wasn't joking.

"What? A-a _wolf_?"

"Yes." She said happily.

Regina was silent, mouth hanging open slightly.

Ruby giggled again. "I can turn into a wolf. Well, I _have_ to turn into a wolf at certain times of the season. Not an ordinary wolf, bigger, stronger...more dangerous. I've learnt to control my transformation, but I have to live out here in the forest, away from my grandmother and my friends, just in case I ever...lose control...again." Emma offered the girl a tight smile that she didn't see.

"It's not natural, I know, and it's really weird and messed up but-"

"Hey." Interrupted Regina. "I don't care about what it is and whether it's considered evil, it saved my life. That's enough for me."

Ruby beamed again, instantly cheering up.

"Besides, looking at you I never would have guessed that you could turn into _that_."

Ruby's grin widened. "I _like_ her, Emma! You can keep this one!"

She picked up the bowl of lukewarm water that had been used to soak the cloth in and headed out of the door with a smirk, informing them that she would be back in a minute.

"'This one'? What did she mean by that?" Asked Regina.

Emma stuffed her hands in her pockets. "You know, other people I've travelled with, people I've helped, people who have helped me..."

"Oh so I'm not the first?" She remarked, attempting to sound playful.

Emma's mouth curved in a crooked smirk. "No, but hopefully you'll be the last, entourages really take it out of me."

"I'm sorry that I'm such a burden." Rebutted Regina with a roll of eyes that grew brighter and clearer by the second.

Emma approached the bed and sat beside her. "You're a bit of a nuisance, I must admit. We won't be able to leave for at least another few days. It shouldn't take too long to heal, not with Ruby's help, but we can't strain it while it does." She looked up at Regina, who was looking at her leg with a confused expression. Emma followed her glance and realised with a start that she had been idly tracing random patterns across the bandages with her fingertips. She pulled her hand back immediately and took a deep breath to shrug it off.

"Anyway. When you are better, no excuses; straight to the lake, we have to sort this map out."

Regina nodded. "That seems reasonable. We just have to avoid wolves..."

"Ah, they won't be venturing out of their home for a while, according to Ruby. She terrified them."

To Emma's surprise, the brunette laughed; a rich, velvety sound that she'd come to appreciate, mostly because it was much better than her shouting.

"The only thing that can scare a wolf is a bigger wolf. My, they're arrogant."

Emma smiled and nodded. "You have a point. Ruby said she's saved four other travellers from wolf attacks recently. They're getting hungry because most of their prey has been chased away and hunted by the army on their way to the ogre wars."

Regina had heard word of the front, but usually didn't ask questions. All she knew is that the war had been raging for generations, and it seemed that neither side could get the upper hand for long enough to end it. It was almost part of the kingdom's background now.

"How do you know her?"

Emma glanced towards the door where the girl had left. "We met when we almost killed each other. She was so impressed that she invited me to dinner and we've been good friends ever since. It's useful to have a pit stop in the middle of the forest. This house is new though, I've never been here before. Then again, it's been a while since I last saw her. I've been too busy..."

Regina nodded. "We seem massively dependant on your friends..."

"Connections are the one valuable thing one makes out here, because they last for life. We look out for each other."

Regina hadn't had a friend like that since the love-filled days of her youth.

"I'm sorry...for...inconveniencing you..." Said Regina. Emma was slightly taken aback by the sincerity of her words.

She shook her head. "It's my fault. I should be more careful."

Regina laughed harshly. "Not everything is within your control, dear."

"No and when things aren't, this is what happens!" She said.

Regina wondered if perhaps Emma had grown sick of not being in control of her own life. From what she could piece together of the blonde's history, she had been kicked around a fair amount as a child, but ever since she'd left the Jolly Roger, she'd been fiercely independent. She considered that perhaps the loss of her son had something to do with it.

"Ruby says we can stay here whilst you recover. She has experience in healing due to the...accidents surrounding her condition before she gained control over it. We'll set off once _I_ decide you are able to walk."

Regina, drained of energy and head throbbing with pain, nodded silently. She bit down on her lip to stop it trembling.

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad, Ruby put something on it..." She glanced down at where crimson had already started to ooze through the bandages, staining tiny patches of white. "...or perhaps it can. God, I can't get this empathy thing right."

She called Ruby, who entered in a flurry of dark hair and white skin.

"Ouch, not much we can do, I'm afraid. I'll get you some laudanum which should numb the pain and help you rest, but I've cleaned it and it isn't deep enough for me to want to risk stitches, so you're just going to have to let it heal in its own time." She said, indeed finding empathy much easier than Emma had.

Regina offered a tight but grateful smile. Ruby is not the kind of person she usually enjoyed the company of, far too bright and bubbly, but she was so thankful for her help that she could never dislike her.

As she left to find the drug, Emma looked pensively down at the injury. Memories floated to the surface of Regina's pain-wracked mind.

"You shouldn't have jumped after me, you know." She murmured, leaning against the headboard, eyes shut.

"I...well..." Emma cleared her throat. "It's not like I could have just let go and watched you die..." She stammered, confused as to the confrontation.

"You could have avoided _that_." Said Regina, opening one eye to look pointedly at the bandage wrapped around Emma's upper arm.

"Yes but me getting a bit injured is preferable to you dying."

"If Ruby hadn't have come, you would have died right along with me, when one of us could have survived. It was a stupid thing to do." Regina informed her, eyes closed again.

"We're back here again, are we?" Hissed Emma. "I made a decision in your favour in a rare moment of kindness, and you turn it into a character fault."

"Like I said, it was a stupid decision, and I cannot thank you enough. It would be much preferable to die next to you than looking up at you. I was terrified, and your decision gave me momentary hope, and I cannot fathom why anyone would do something that selfless for me."

It was the most open the Queen had ever been in Emma's presence, and her admission stunned her into silence. Perhaps this...woman...could appreciate and even understand human goodness more than Emma had originally given her credit for.

Before she could respond, Ruby came bustling back in with a spoon and a bottle.

"This will taste vile, but it's mixed with mint and diluted, so just rest assured that it could be a whole lot worse, plus it should numb the pain."

She spoon fed the considerably disgruntled-looking brunette an appropriate portion, then screwed the lid on and turned to Emma, who was still observing Regina curiously.

"Come on, leave her to rest. She won't be much good for conversation within a few minutes anyway."

Emma nodded and rose. "Yeah, um...see you later, Regina." She muttered. Regina raised her eyebrow, tired but amused, and watched as the two others left. She settled back and waited for the pain in her leg to lessen and give her some peace.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This story is so much fun to write, seriously. But I realise that it's also super slow burn and so I'm sorry for those who hopped on board in the hope of some prompt magic lesbian action, but I felt diving head first into that would be an insult to the two wonderful characters, so I'm sorry, it takes rather a lot of development, but we'll get there. **

**DISCLAIMER: SwanQueen isn't canon, thus I clearly don't own Once.**

**Thanks to those who leave feedback. Updates will always be quicker when I get support. **

**Chapter 14**

"So where are you two going?"

"Like I said, I have to get Henry back, and she's gonna help."

Ruby cast a glance towards her bedroom door. "She doesn't look particularly strong..."

Emma sipped at the tea Ruby had given her. "She's like nothing I've ever seen...of course, she's not on _his_ level, but...I don't know, it's just sort of...raw power. Her magic's kind of scary, but her control is lacking. It's also fairly obvious she despises it and only uses it when necessary. Still, she agreed to help, and I'm not in a position to be picky."

Ruby smirked. "She seems...a little intense, and that's when she's delirious with pain, so she must be quite a handful usually. But I'm sure she means well..."

Emma rolled green eyes and rocked back on the back legs of her chair. "You assume everyone means well, Ruby."

Ruby shrugged. "I have to. It's the only way I can keep faith in humanity."

She said this lightly and followed it with a sip of her own drink. Emma decided to change the topic.

"How have you been?"

Ruby stood to attend to some broth bubbling over the fire. "Not too bad. Wolf season's been a nightmare; I killed more deer than I care to admit. That's probably why the wolves chased you; I've left them nothing to eat. Well, the armies and me. And I miss Granny..." She added pensively, slowly stirring the liquid round in the pot.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Two years ago."

"Wow, that's quite a while..."

"Yeah. It's kind of lonely out here but, it's for the best..."

Emma finished her drink and placed her mug on the table with a prominent wooden thud.

"Ruby, if I'd known, I would have made more of an effort to see you..."

The young girl waved a slender hand dismissively. "You've been busy trying not to get arrested and executed and I've been busy trying not to murder everyone I love, so it isn't a big deal."

Emma smirked at this.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone's finally kidnapped the King's favourite toy!" She said, tossing her hair over her shoulder triumphantly. Emma was almost certain she saw a flash of scarlet amongst dark brown.

"Yes. I heard." She said simply.

"The reward's _massive_. He evidently couldn't find a younger, prettier replacement. He's got the National Guard out looking for her and everything. I mean, I've never seen her before, but I doubt she's ever left the bedchamber..."

"You have." Said Emma without thinking. She realised that there was something odd about her leaping to Regina's defence, but honestly, the girl was obviously unhappy in her marriage and that's something that no one should be teased about, whether they're present or not.

"I have what?" Ruby turned to face her.

"You have seen her."

Ruby laughed. She had a full, wholehearted laugh, throwing her head back and holding her stomach. "I doubt I'd be able to forget that, Emma. I doubt I'd _miss_ her!"

Emma swallowed. Ruby quietened and drew her eyebrows together.

"Looks are often deceiving..." Said Emma cryptically, with a prominent look towards the closed bedroom door.

Ruby followed her gaze and did a double take, processing.

"...No...no, that's not possible..."

Emma nodded minutely. A moment of silence followed while the girl gathered her thoughts. She evidently decided attack was the best approach.

"Emma! Do you have _any_ idea how dangerous this is?! If you're caught with her, they'll _kill_ you. It doesn't matter what Regina says, they'll find an excuse. This is madness!" She hissed under her breath to avoid waking the slumbering Queen in the next room.

"I know, Ruby! I'm terrified! But I have to get my son back. We had a close shave on the Jolly Roger and Hook and his crew paid for it, but I'm avoiding anywhere the guard is likely to travel and we're keeping our heads down. I'm sorry, I just...I have to get him back...as soon as I can..."

Ruby looked uneasy, but took her seat again. "Emma, I understand...in a way...but I just want to make sure you're careful. For all you know, I could be a spy! Why did you tell me?"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "You wouldn't betray us. I know that much. Besides, it's been eating me alive. I had to tell someone, and since you've healed her, I thought I ought to tell you who you're using valuable supplies on."

The silence that followed was explanatory. Ruby disapproved. Of course she did; she'd always had Emma's best interests at heart.

"You should get some rest, sweetie." Said Ruby, furrowing her brow, huge eyes widening further. "You've got to be exhausted. I told you last night, you should have slept, staying up all night was pointless, I told you she'd be fine-"

"I was just full of adrenalin-"

"Yeah, sure." She said sarcastically. "You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not-"

"You were worried about her, that's natural. You had a scare, it makes sense that you'd want to make sure she was ok...even if I told you she would be...and it meant not getting any sleep..."

"It's just...I was-"

Ruby smirked. "You needn't justify yourself."

She sighed. "She should probably eat something now..." She poured some broth into a wooden bowl and cautiously entered the bedroom. Emma stared blankly at the wall, she felt fatigue weighing her down. She should probably rest, seen as there were beds here and they weren't going anywhere in a hurry.

Ruby slipped back into the room. "She's awake, and feeling better apparently. I wasn't kidding, Emma, you should rest."

Emma nodded in defeat. "Fine. I'll just...check on her first..."

Ruby nodded, and once Emma had disappeared behind the door, smirked quietly to herself. She'd missed having company, especially that of Emma Swan. Something about the blonde made even the most mundane events interesting, and she was a woman who didn't judge, partially because she was in no position to, and partially because she didn't care where you came from or who you were or what you believed once she got to know you, just that you were her ally and her friend. Ruby wondered if she judged Regina on where she'd come from, or if Emma hadn't yet realised just how dependent she'd have to be on another human being if her plan was ever going to work, a feeling she knew the thief detested.

"You decent?" Came the question from the door.

Regina glanced down at the light dress Ruby had leant to her which was hiked up round her waist to expose her leg to the cooling air. It was nothing Emma hadn't seen before.

"Yes." She answered, tugging the pale skirt down slightly.

Emma entered and tucked her hands into the back pockets of her trousers. Regina was looking decidedly like a caged animal that was fed up of its restraints.

"How you feeling, princess?"

"Like a liability." She hissed. It would have been threatening if the situation weren't so pitiful.

"I know it sucks being cooped up, especially after your whole 'valiant escape attempt' thing, but there's no way I'm carrying you to the lake. Ruby says we should be good to go in a few days."

Regina huffed, crossing her arms and straightening her back. Only she would manage to look regal in a borrowed gown with a bandage wrapped round an exposed calf.

"You've got to eat though..." Emma pointed out, walking closer to her bedside and nudging the untouched broth on the table.

Regina sighed. "I don't have the appetite."

"Seriously? How do you expect to get any better without eating? Don't make me feed it to you..."

She left the threat hanging, and it seemed to work as the Queen reluctantly picked up the bowl and ate a few spoonfuls. Evidently sparking a hunger she hadn't acknowledged, she promptly finished it all, and yet with an almost mockable grace; not spilling a drop and holding the spoon as if it were silver rather than wood.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I'm going to bed. If you need me, get Ruby to wake me up."

Regina looked confused. "Why would I need you?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know what kind of trouble you might get yourself into if I turn my back for more than a minute..."

Regina glared half-heartedly. "Enjoy your rest." She said curtly.

Emma nodded. The brunette looked much healthier; the colour back in her cheeks and eyes less blurred by pain. She made to leave the room.

"Emma?"

Emma turned immediately at the use of her first name. "Yes?"

"How old are you?"

Emma narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but decided no real harm could come of it.

"I'm twenty three."

Regina's eyes widened. "I would have guessed older..."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean you're...competent, more so than other morons I've met who are your age." She finished.

Emma smirked. "How old are you?"

"Twenty six."

"Wow, that's quite an age gap..."

"It's only three years..."

"No, no!" She said hurriedly. "I meant between you and your...King."

Regina nodded. "He's fifty-three. I'm much closer to his daughter's age." Resentment laced her tone.

Emma's stomach turned at the thought. "Well let's hope we escape without him finding you."

Regina almost smiled. "Yes."

Emma slipped out of the door with a final goodbye and made her way down the hall to a spare room, where she promptly collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry this took a little longer, I've been really busy. Besides, according to the "magic lessons", I don't need to write SwanQueen in as canon, the show's doing it for me. Either way, I really enjoyed writing the Ruby/Emma/Regina dynamic all in one house, it's an area worth exploring.**

**Please leave a review/follow/favourite, it keeps me writing!**

**Chapter 15**

Emma angrily carved the end of the stick into a point; a pastime that had frequently proved useful in taking her mind off things. In front of her, spread out on Ruby's kitchen table was the ruined remains of the map that would take her to her son, illegible and blackened. She had been stuck in the house for three days, Regina's leg getting continuously better, but not healed enough to move easily yet, and Emma was at breaking point through sheer frustration of being unable to move on. She shaved off more and more of the pliable wood until the end was dangerously sharp, glaring at the piece of parchment that would delay her even further through the need to repair it.

The front door swung open and Ruby skipped in, wearing a starkly red cape, the hood pulled up over dark hair; a look now iconic of the young woman. A basket swung from her arm and sharp white teeth flashed with a smile of greeting.

"I'm sorry, the herbs were further away than I anticipated. I got lots of them though." She placed her basket down on the table and pulled out three bundles of green plant. She caught sight of the map and noticed Emma's apparent impatience.

"I told you, looking at it will do you no good, it will just irritate you." She said, beginning to grind up some herbs in a pestle and mortar.

Emma gritted her jaw and continued to whittle down the stick with tangible frustration.

"No need to be angry at me, I'm just here to help. I can't speed up the healing process any more than I already have." She said in a singsong tone that grated on Emma's fragile nerves.

"How far did you say the lake is from here?"

"Not far."

"Can't you be more specific?"

"No. I'm not well informed enough."

"I thought you knew the woods."

"I do, but-"

"But not enough to actually be _useful_!"

"Don't shout at me, I've done nothing wrong." She said calmly.

"I'm not shouting!"

"It sounds like you are!"

"I'm just sick of sitting around and doing nothing!"

"Well you can't go anywhere because Regina isn't fit to travel-"

"I know!"

Ruby hadn't glanced up from what she was doing; she was used to Emma's temper.

"Stop acting like a child."

"That's rich coming from the person who thinks it's fun us all being stuck here."

"I don't think that. You're just aggravated, Emma."

"Telling me I'm aggravated doesn't make me any calmer!"

"Well it's the truth. You're not listening to reason!"

"Stop treating me like a child you're babysitting!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

"What on _earth_ is everyone shouting about?!"

Two heads snapped towards the bedroom door. Regina was standing in the doorway, supporting herself against the frame, and a little pale, but undoubtedly _standing_. Ruby's eyebrows drew together.

"You...you can walk?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes." Replied Regina.

Emma hadn't realised that she had shorn the end of the stick off until the wooden point hit the table.

"But...it should be _days_ before you can put any weight on it..."

Regina shrugged, leaning more heavily against the doorframe. "I've always healed quickly...well, since I started using magic."

Ruby shook her head. "Don't overstrain yourself, you shouldn't be up yet, you'll aggravate the wound." She hurried over and offered the Queen an arm, helping her over to the table and into a rickety wooden chair.

"I wouldn't have had to move if I hadn't thought you two were about a second away from blowing the house down."

Emma cast a sheepish glance at Ruby, who gave a tight smile.

"We've all been in a confined space for three days, you two want to get going and can't, tensions are high, it was just an argument."

Ruby went back to grinding herbs. Emma smiled ironically. "Certainly not our first."

Ruby smirked over her shoulder at her. "Definitely won't be our last."

"Well I'm an invalid here, keep it down while I'm trying to recover from my traumatic experience!" Said Regina over-dramatically.

Ruby laughed. "You hobbled out here to tell us to shut up, I think you're on your way to recovery."

"Yep. She's complaining; definitely getting back to normal." Said Emma with a smirk at Regina.

She felt the burden lift slightly. Ruby always cheered her up, despite their petty arguments, but she never thought Regina might be the one bringing solace to the mismatched household.

Ruby had stirred the herbs into boiling water and placed it in front of Regina along with some bread and butter. The Queen took a hesitant sip and immediately grimaced. Emma found her still heavily-present royal standards of accommodation amusing to no end.

"Ah ah, all of it." Chided Ruby when she tried to push the mug away from her. The older brunette scowled and appeared to drink the rest out of spite. Emma stifled a chuckle at her distasteful expression, before frowning at how weirdly familial this all felt.

She cleared we throat. "Since she's too stubborn to even _heal_ at a normal rate, what's your new estimated time of full recovery?"

Ruby chewed her lip as she thought. "I'd give it another two days. We'll see how it is then, but it may need longer. Let me check, actually."

Regina rolled her eyes at the disturbance to her temporary tranquillity and lifted her leg onto the empty chair in front of her. Ruby began to unwrap the bandage while Regina winced from the disturbance of the wound. Emma watched with apprehension as the binding was pulled away, finding herself almost admiring long smooth bare legs that had probably never climbed a tree in their life with something that she wasn't a hundred percent sure was envy.

She needed to get out of this cottage.

Ruby inspected the wound, which was still prominent, but no longer oozing blood at an alarming rate and thankfully didn't look irritated.

"It actually looks pretty good!" The girl diagnosed. "It's not infected, so that's a good sign. Still painful though?" She pressed the pad of her finger against it and Regina sucked in a breath she had evidently tried not to draw attention to. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, of course it is. Your leg _was_ nearly torn off by a wolf after all..."

Regina swallowed hard and stared down at the limb she hadn't realised she would have missed. Ruby stared at the wound critically and analytically. Emma just stared.

"Well, I'll redress it, then you honestly must rest it, I can't do everything for you." Said Ruby brightly.

Regina mumbled something irritably under her breath that was along the lines of her displeasure that a child was ordering her around, but allowed herself to be helped back though to her temporary bedroom.

Emma looked at the end of the stick, the point having been snapped clean off, picked up her knife, and started afresh.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello! Sorry, it's been a while! Exams are approaching with increasing trepidation. Can I just say; I loved writing these chapters.**

**Please leave a review! I love hearing what you think.**

**Chapter 16**

Emma was certain she had been here for two years at least. She had been spending increasingly longer amounts of time outside the cottage, roaming the forest, hunting, generally trying to occupy herself as the weather got warmer and the wound got better and her son got older. Impatience was something the blonde had always suffered from, unsettled by staying in the same place for too long when something called her.

She leant her chin more heavily on her palm as she watched the cause of her frustration from across the room. She was almost used to seeing Regina wearing Ruby's dresses; hers being clean now but less practical when it came to treating an injured leg. The Queen was sitting stiff and still, eyes focused on the candle in front of her as though caught in some bizarre staring contest. Emma groaned.

"You've been at this for hours, princess."

Regina took a while to reply. "I'm concentrating. Shut up."

Emma was too bored to retort to the harsh tone.

A few minutes later, when the fatigued silence had continued and Regina still hadn't moved, she cracked.

"Oh for god's sake, come on!"

Regina frowned and flicked her hand upwards and almost instantly, the candle lit.

Unfortunately, most of the table did as well.

"Shit, Regina!" She shrieked, leaping away from the wood, currently ablaze.

Regina began to panic, moving her hands erratically as she thought of a solution. She raised her arms then brought them sweeping down, along with a vast quantity of water that she had conjured from thin air. The table was engulfed and the fire immediately extinguished, leaving behind charred, damp wood. Regina bit her lip.

"This is why you shouldn't distract me, Swan." She hissed.

Emma inspected the damaged furniture item. "You've really got to get a lid on that. Your control is atrocious."

Regina rounded on her. "This is my fault?"

Emma nodded. "Well, you set the damn thing on fire!"

Regina looked affronted. "Because you were screaming at me!"

"Because you were frustrating me! You've got to learn to control it if we're ever going to succeed!"

"_You've _got to learn to control your temper if we're ever going to succeed!"

"You're one to talk!"

"You're provoking me!"

"And you nearly burnt us to a crisp! I've had enough of that this journey, thank you very much!"

"Well at least now you know not to disturb me."

"Maybe if you were a bit better at this, I wouldn't have had to!" Emma knew she was being unreasonable, but was tired of being cooped up and bored.

Regina bristled at the comment and surged to her feet. "Don't provoke me further, Swan."

Emma was about to do just that, before the realisation hit her, jaw dropping slightly as her eyes travelled downward.

Regina looked momentarily confused. She followed the blonde's gaze down to her leg, then gasped.

"But...but…it should be _days_ before..." Emma stammered.

Regina stood upright, entirely unsupported, and felt only the slightest twinges of discomfort. She experimentally leant more of her weight on it.

"It's...wait a minute..."

She sat down again, Emma striding over to get a better look. Pulling off the bandages, both stared in confused wonderment at the almost completely healed bite mark.

"How the hell did you do that...?"

Regina was lost for words. "This morning when Ruby changed the bandages...it was _much_ worse than this..."

Regina ran her fingers along the marks still present but hardly red at all and almost entirely healed over. Emma didn't think before doing the same, and was so perplexed by the mended skin that she didn't notice Regina look at her and swallow hard.

"It's like..."

"...magic." The brunette finished for her.

It was at this point that Ruby entered in her usual flagrant and excitable manner, grinning brightly and slamming the door shut once in the kitchen. She startled the two other women, who stepped a larger distance apart while Ruby's eyes flicked between the two with suspicion.

"Interrupting something, was I?" She smirked and raised her eyebrows. Emma blushed, Regina bristled.

"No. We were just looking at her leg." Said Emma.

Ruby nodded. "I could see that..."

"Look, Ruby." Regina cut in, gesturing to her limb. Ruby approached and gasped when her gaze fell on newly repaired skin.

"...that's impossible...this morning it was...well, worse. A lot worse." She was bemused, eyes narrowed, staring down.

"What caused this?" She asked, without taking her eyes off the wound.

Emma was about to answer that she had no clue, but Regina got there quicker. "I have an idea..."

Ruby slumped down in the chair next to Regina, whilst Emma remained standing over the two.

"Heightened emotions evidently cause a flux in magic. Emma aggravated me and caused me to overuse magic, and it apparently speeds up the healing process..."

Ruby was still and silent as she took this all in. "What were you using magic for?"

Regina cast a guilty glance at the table, which had only then been brought to its owner's attention.

"...what the _hell_ have you done to my table?!"

"I was trying to light a candle." She indicated to the lump of soft wax standing where the candle had been. "As I said, Emma provoked me and I lost control...slightly..."

Ruby ran a hand over the still warm, damp and scorched wood and sighed in distress. "I can't leave you two alone for ten minutes before you've almost burnt the house down!" There was an annoyance in her tone, but fury was absent.

"I apologise. I didn't realise I would do so much damage..."

Ruby shrugged, though still looked slightly disheartened. "It still functions as a table; that's what's important. If it collapses, I'll just replace it. It's no matter."

Regina was continuously shocked by this woman's incredible ability to forgive and gain friendship so easily. It was certainly not a trait the Queen was used to.

"Still, now at least we know that all we have to do to heal you is to sufficiently annoy you." She said playfully, her smirk was back, Emma echoed it with her own, Regina shook her head disapprovingly.

"Wait, does this mean we can leave?" Emma asked.

Ruby ran another distracted touch across her tabletop. "Yes, I suppose it does." She said. "Can you walk ok, Regina?"

Regina shifted her weight from foot to foot, and walked round to the opposite side of the table. The lack of pain was glorious.

"Yes. I can hardly feel anything..."

"It's truly miraculous!" Announced Ruby.

Emma found herself smiling. "Well, now there is no excuse for laziness. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Regina would definitely miss home comforts such as properly prepared food and soft beds and the option to wash properly, but was equally eager to get on with the next stage of their journey. Looking out of the window, she saw dark looming trees forming an unfamiliar forest full of unknown dangers and potential threats. After this escapade, however, she felt slightly more ready to take them on.

That evening, Ruby made them a large meal to keep them going, and they sat together in the fading light, in the comfortable warmth of the fire in the main room, talking amiably and exchanging experiences. Regina watched the other's interaction with envy; she had never had the opportunity to make a friendship as strong as theirs obviously was. The closest she had ever got to a long-term friendship of any kind was Daniel...and look how well that turned out...

Ruby and Emma were startlingly alike, despite Emma's gruff and merciless nature contrasting with Ruby's constant bubbly attitude to everything. Both were children of the forest, both had been forced to deal with isolation, both had family they had to protect at all costs, really it was no wonder they had forged such a bond. Regina was unsure whether or not she was comfortable with the idea of similarly trusting someone so completely, and realised she didn't have to consider it, since she would be escaping all she knew pretty soon, hence was perfectly content with simply watching from a distance. Besides, the firelight animated Emma in an admirable way, flames dancing across high cheekbones and touching the end of long lashes.

The next morning they packed and rechecked the wound, confirming that it was still miraculously healed. They ate and washed and stalled until Emma decided it was about time they left and continued their journey.

Regina waited outside in her own, clean dress, adjusting her boot so it wouldn't rub against her bandages. Emma packed the satchel in the kitchen, Ruby standing nearby.

"If you ever need a place to stay..."

Emma smiled. "I know, I'll come straight to you."

Ruby grinned and nodded. "It's actually been really nice having company. I've missed you a lot, and Regina's not half bad when you get to know her!"

Emma's smile widened. "Easy for you to say, you aren't stuck with her."

Ruby's expression softened into one of genuine sincerity, an odd thing to see on her face. "Thank you, Emma. I needed someone to talk to, and I've appreciated your company so much..."

"It's me who should be thanking you. You saved our lives back at the clearing, then her life with your medicine, and by extension, my chance of getting my son back. We'd probably both be dead without you, and it's the least I can do to come and visit sometime, now I know I'm welcome."

"You certainly are." Said the girl contemplatively. She pulled the blonde into a hug of affection and warmth, a type of embrace that Emma had been bereft of for longer than she'd care to think about. When she pulled back to look at her friend, she was struck by the good of humanity, and how it may manifest itself in the oddest of places.

With renewed supplies, energy and morale, Regina and Emma set off once more into the forest on route to their next destination.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Bit of a filler chapter I'm afraid, the next one is extra long to make up for it. I'm not even going to go into my reaction to the last episode; it's better left unsaid if I'm honest. Thank you so much for all the feedback, it's appreciated.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 17**

"So, this wondrous lake you speak so highly of..."

"Yes?" Emma rolled her eyes, only a few hours back into their journey and already the sarcasm was back. In a way she missed the brunette being in pain; at least it shut her and her cynicism up for five minutes.

"You _definitely_ know where it is?"

"Yes."

"And we're _definitely_ going in the right direction?"

"Yes."

"And it will _definitely_ restore the map?"

"I don't know, princess. I'm going on a hunch." She drawled from her position ahead of Regina, climbing up over a flat of rock. She was alert and aware, much more so than she normally would be walking through the forest, bow at the ready and periodically glancing to either side of them. She was not taking any risks; she doubted they would be so lucky again if they came across another threat.

"Look, I'm just going on what I've been told." She said.

Regina fell silent. She was lagging behind, stumbling slightly on her leg, which Emma did pity a little, but not enough to noticeably change her attitude.

She turned to look at the Queen. "You want me to carry you, princess?"

Regina pulled agitatedly at her skirt. "Not in a million years."

"Well hurry up then, I'd like to get there before nightfall." She rolled her eyes and turned back round to continue.

"Perhaps if you let me rest for a moment..." Regina grumbled under her breath. Emma, hearing instinctual and heightened by her lifestyle, picked it up.

"What was that?"

Regina huffed. "I _have_ had my leg savaged by a pack of wolves, you know. Magically healed or not, I can't sprint across the forest just yet..."

Emma sighed in defeat. "Fine. Stop for a minute, gather your strength, whatever you want, but don't get comfortable."

Regina exhaled heavily. She perched precariously on a jagged rock, wincing at the discomfort. Emma put her hands on her hips and bit the inside of her cheek in impatience. This woman had been more a liability than an asset so far.

She settled for leaning against a tree and waiting for her companion to pull herself together.

There was certain integrity in the way Regina rolled her head back on her shoulders, an undoubtedly regal flourish in the sweep of her neck. Large brown eyes slid shut in repose and full lips parted as she sighed her discomfort. Her hair was still tied up out of her face, obsidian curls escaping to twist round her jawline, and despite having been living as an outlaw for the best part of a week, she showed surprisingly few side effects of the change of environment. She rubbed at the tight waistline of her bodice, whalebone making its sharp edges known in delicate skin. Emma's eyes followed the path of dainty hands with curiosity; she'd had very few chances to see someone like Regina close up and out-of-place, the _Queen _none the less, and it was like seeing a goat wearing the most elaborately crafted tiara. Somehow, however, it wasn't nearly as mockable. She could imagine the brunette at royal balls and fine dinner parties, strolling through her neatly trimmed gardens in a dress to be worn once and costing more than Emma was worth entirely, yet out here in the forest, though different, it seemed the scenery also complimented her. Of course, she looked helpless and lost, but the rich green of the foliage, the brush of a light breeze, the nature teeming around her seemed to bend to her in a sense, contrasting yet welcoming the strange Queen. Emma had seen much in her short life, too much, perhaps, and yet the striking, pure, unhindered beauty of the woman she'd almost grown accustomed to having hanging around her still struck her slightly. She wondered whether she would have preferred an ugly accomplice; less of a distraction, but not nearly so aesthetically pleasing, and one could get tired of looking at trees...

Emma swallowed hard and gritted her teeth. Beautiful or not, this woman was not to be trusted, not to be underestimated, and _certainly_ not to be complimented. She was growing used to her presence, sure, but that didn't mean she had to _enjoy _it. She reminded herself not to be fooled by appearances; the Queen was still irritating, stubborn and dangerous, and not to be admired in any way. Emma was pretty certain she _didn't_ admire her, Regina was lucky she didn't _hate_ her, purely for being the way she was.

Emma just had to get her son back and thus be soon rid of her latest burden.

"Preferably before the map disintegrates through age." She quipped. Regina looked disgruntled, but composed herself and stood again. Emma shook off the thoughts of the last few minutes.

"It's a few miles further." She sighed.

Once they were walking again, trekking in comfortable silence, Regina pressed further.

"So this water restores what's lost?"

"That's the idea, yes." She said bluntly.

"So then it could return my leg to normal..."

Emma shook her head. "Nope. You're not going anywhere near it."

"...excuse me?" She sounded shocked by the insolence.

"Too risky. Only one of us should go. It's said that there's something guarding the lake, and if the lake exists, then I bet the monster does too. If the water's worth using, then they'll be something guarding it; it's logical. I've got to face it without having to worry about you as well, it has to be outsmarted as opposed to outnumbered."

"There is no way you are just _wandering_ up to such a creature with no idea how to handle it without someone standing by to help-"

Emma had had enough. She stopped and turned to face her companion once more. The forest murmured quietly around them.

"Your stubbornness is going to get us into a _lot_ of trouble, princess. Trust me, I know. Just do as I say and this will be as painless as possible."

"I'm not being _stubborn_, I'm using my common sense. You will die if you go alone."

Emma gritted her jaw and advanced on Regina. As she got slowly closer and closer, she was mildly disappointed to see that the brunette didn't cower even in the slightest, but rather glared evenly back, straightening her posture and crossing her arms in a way that was more aggressive than defensive.

"I'm going to say this...one more time..." Said Emma. She stood close, exuding icily calm threat. Regina continued to stare her down. "...I have the most experience out here. I live out here, I _survive_ out here on a day to day basis. This," she indicated to the bandage around her upper arm that Regina knew was covering a set of deep gashes from their wolf attack. "Is because of you. So far, _you're_ the one that has gotten us into trouble. So, from now on, I'm not taking any chances. I'm seeing us through this. I'm keeping you alive because I need you, and you'd better remember that next time you argue with me."

They stood inches apart, eyes still locked. Regina noticed that Emma was ever so slightly taller than her. She refused to budge.

"If you want to live, you're gonna have to listen to me." Emma's tone was low, calm, dangerous, quiet. "No one cares who you are and who you're married to and what you call yourself out here. It's anonymous and ruthless. Trust me, and we may stand a chance when we reach our destination, which I can assure you, _your majesty_, will be ten times more difficult than the journey."

She allowed a moment of silence to let her words sink in. Regina's onyx eyes stared back unwaveringly, and her tongue darted out to wet lips she hadn't realised were dry. Emma's eyes flicked down to observe this.

"I'm going alone. You stay nearby so I can hear if anything goes wrong. If I get _truly_ desperate, then I'll shout for you. I doubt that'll happen though, if it is too much for me to handle, it will probably have killed me within seconds." She almost whispered, foreboding.

"Do you understand?" She hissed this so icily that Regina, though appearing wholly unruffled by the blonde's proximity and threats, knew there was no room for debate.

"If you insist." She said crisply, harshly, emotionlessly.

Emma allowed a small smirk of victory, waiting a moment before drawing away from the brunette.

"Good. Let's continue then. We should be almost at the lake."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while, been swamped with work and shit. This was such fun though, and it's loooong. I'm also sorry about our ship and everything.**

**DISCLAIMER: Once would be better if I (anyone, really) wrote it, so clearly I don't.**

**Please leave a review x**

**Chapter 18:**

"This is close enough." Emma halted in an area of coarse grass surrounded by drooping willow trees. The air tasted different, fresher, moister. They were certainly close enough.

Regina observed her rather picturesque surroundings; as uncomfortable as the practical experience may be, there were definitely visual positives to a life outdoors. She nodded silently, glancing up at the darkening sky.

"It shouldn't rain, but if it does, the trees should provide you with enough shelter so that you won't freeze to death. The lake is close, if my navigation is correct, which it almost always is." She slipped her bow and quiver off her shoulder and held it out to the Queen. "Do yourself a favour and try being a little quiet for once. This is the worst possible time to attract unwanted visitors."

Regina eyed the bow warily. "Won't you be needing that?"

Emma shook her head. "It's a battle of wits, rather than arms. A bow would put me at a disadvantage as I'd lose the element of surprise."

Regina cautiously took the bow from the blonde's outstretched grasp. It was heavier than she'd expected, and had become such a large part of the thief's appearance that it felt rather like a personal invasion.

"I can't use it."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation, dropping the quiver to the ground. "Well occupy yourself with practising while I'm gone. Might as well make yourself useful; an ability to use a weapon may come in handy one day." She chose to omit the fact that Regina's ability to inflict damage was the reason she was here.

Regina fitted the quiver on her shoulder. Emma shifted slightly in discomfort at having to hand over her prized weapon.

"I should be back before midnight. If I'm not, remain here until dawn, and then leave if I haven't returned. Try to find a town, or even better, Ruby, or if the worst comes to the worst, Hook. Find someone you know, basically. Everyone else should be considered a potential threat. Keep the bow with you at all times, light a fire, eat some supplies Hook gave us, get some rest, _be quiet_. I should be back fairly soon."

Emma bent down to check that her dagger was still firmly slotted into her boot and the flask at her hip. Regina tested the string of the bow.

The blonde straightened up and rolled her shoulders back.

"Right. Stay here. Stay safe." And with that, set off towards the edge of the clearing.

"Emma."

She turned to face Regina. The brunette did a good job of masking her growing trepidation.

"Try not to die."

Emma smirked, pleased by the lack of sympathy.

"I'll do my best, princess." She gave a small salute, and bounded off into the forest, armed with only a small knife and her wits, while Regina watched her until she disappeared, still clutching the bow as if it would protect her itself.

It was late evening when Emma reached the lake, forcing herself not to shiver from the chill. The trees gave way to the body of water, smaller than Emma had expected it to be, and rather lovely-looking in the twilight. The surface was mirror-still, not a ripple or fin disturbed it. The plants at the water's edge were unusual, some she had never seen before, all eerily silver in the fading light and swaying calmly in the gentle breeze. Yes, it certainly looked like a place that held magic.

Hesitantly creeping out of the protective tree line, Emma felt her boots sink into soft damp ground, moistened by the water's tiny individual tides. She tensed completely, having established that the lake did indeed exist, and thus the monster was likely to as well.

She padded silently down to the waters edge, retracting the flask she had been carrying at her hip and prepared to lower it to the surface, when a flash of dark movement caught her eye.

The shadows by the water's edge pulsated with a figure sliding among them. Emma straightened her spine, ready to face the creature head on.

She resisted the urge to call out, and in the end she didn't need to, as the figure slinked slowly out into the remaining light.

As the creature revealed itself, her breath caught in her throat and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ruby?"

In front of her, wearing her signature red cape, sleek brown locks tumbling over narrow shoulder, was her young friend. She grinned at Emma, sharp white teeth glinting.

"Hello!"

Emma's eyes raked over the wolf-girl's delicate form. "You're the monster?!"

Ruby laughed, the rich sound had a strange echo to it in this environment.

"No! Of course not! Do I look like a monster?"

Emma slowly shook her head, suspicion clawing at her, unease weighing down her stomach.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Ruby laughed again and moved a few steps closer. She lacked her usual clumsiness, in fact, in the evening light she was almost elegant.

"It's such a beautiful evening and it's lovely here." She drifted towards the water's edge, dipping bare toes in it.

"It isn't cold at all." She waded in a short way and giggled in delight, then tossed a playful glance over her shoulder at Emma. "Come on in, the water's great."

"I'm fine thanks. I had better stay dry."

Ruby shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She waded further in, the material of her skirt floating on the surface around her, cloak slicing a scarlet slash against the darkening water.

"Ruby, there's supposed to be a beast in there." Interjected Emma, moving forward protectively.

Ruby laughed again. "Don't be ridiculous! I come here all the time."

Emma's stomach twisted. Against her better judgement, she moved into the shallow waters. The coolness of the water against the leather of her boots was strangely enticing.

"You always get an amazing view of the moon from here." The brunette pondered aloud, tilting her head back to observe the silver crescent that was gradually appearing in the sky.

Emma followed her gaze, completely forgetting her coldness. In fact, she was pretty content now, the serenity of the scenery lulling her slightly.

She didn't realised that she had moved any deeper until the water flowed over the top of her boots, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Dragging her eyes away from the bewitching sky, she levelled her gaze at Ruby, who had turned to face her. The forest was silent.

"Well you're in now..." Smiled Ruby. Something was slightly off. Emma, pulling herself back to the present, had an idea.

She winced noticeably and raised her hand to the bandage wrapped round her upper arm, still looking at Ruby.

Not a flicker of concern passed over familiar features. Ruby barely even noticed. When Emma exaggerated the gesture, feigning discomfort, Ruby tilted her head on one side and observed with curiosity rather than worry.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes." Said Emma, straightening up once more. Ruby knew of her injury, Ruby was possibly the most compassionate person Emma knew, Ruby would never be so complacent. Ruby would be worried.

"What is it?" That grin was there again, but it was highly disconcerting this time.

"You're not Ruby."

Ruby looked affronted. "Of course I am. Who else would I be?"

Emma narrows her eyes suspiciously. "You tell me, _Ruby_, because that's the worst impersonation I've ever seen."

The odd feeling she'd had since her arrival made sense now. She should trust her instincts in the future.

Ruby began to move towards her, slender hips swaying. "Clever little one, aren't you? Well, not really." Eyes that now appeared black glanced pointedly down at Emma's presence; up to her thighs in water.

"What are you?"

The Ruby impersonator giggled again, but it was more like a cackle, and it chilled Emma to the bone. However, she didn't budge.

"A story." She laughed lightly, then with no warning, turned to face the other way and plunged head first into the glassy water.

Emma started as water droplets rained on her. She assumed that the lake got very deep, very quickly, so was hesitant to move anywhere. She glanced through the dark depths, trying to catch sight of a flash of red, or a flash of _anything,_ but the darkness had swallowed the creature entirely.

She was once more startled by the splash behind her, and she spun on the spot, only to come face to face with black leather.

Her breath caught in her throat in shock.

A lopsided grin on a handsome, chiselled face met her. Glistening and gorgeous, Hook leaned closer.

"This any better?" He gestured to himself. "It's so very hard to tell with you, love. It seems you are slightly muddled...unable to make up your mind..." His voice, low and gravelly, sent shivers down her spine.

"If you were at all decent at this, you'd realise that this appearance does nothing for me."

"Oh, but I reckon it does something _to_ you." He moved closer still, so there was barely an inch between them, Emma was momentarily bemused by the inky depths of black eyes, so unlike the captain's at this distance.

"I gave you everything I could." He said, looking down at her. "I did everything in my power to keep you safe and healthy, to make you grow up into the tough young woman you are now. I _cared_, and I rarely do that. Why are you so ungrateful?" He growled, a shallow breath slipped past her lips shakily.

"You only wanted me for my looks, you had my life and character planned out from the moment you first saw me. You're cruel, Killian, I've seen you do terrible things, and I won't judge you for them, but you can never play the saint in front of me. Of course I remember what you did for me, but I also remember what you've put me through."

The moonlight glinted off his hook, wet, tanned skin glittered, his already black appearance aspects appeared inexplicably blacker, as if he were a black hole, sucking in the light around him. He took her hand in his.

"I bared myself. That is not something I do. I was vulnerable and trusting and you turned your back. After _everything_." Eyes sparkled with dark intentions.

"You were a fool. You taught me never to do such a thing."

"I love you." He said intensely. "I always have and what's worse is that you _know_ I have. You are a cruel one. I misjudged you."

He stood practically pressed up against her. She could feel his breathing against her cheek. Her heart pounded in her ears.

"Show me that I'm wrong. That _you_ have been wrong..." His words slipped over her mind like silk. Then she realised it, once more pulling herself out of the daze-like trace.

"Nice try, but once more, not good enough." Her nose was practically brushing against his. She smirked as she hissed the words, pulling her hand out of his sharply.

"What isn't good enough?"

"You." She said harshly. "Killian would _never_ admit that to me. He's too smart, and too scared." She moved away a little, the mirage shattered.

"Temptation isn't always a reflection, it's often a revelation." Said Hook with a smirk, his previous vulnerability gone without a trace.

"Well, this isn't tempting me in the slightest." She said. Hook blocked her path back the way she came, so she turned away and waded towards the other side of the lake, eager for an escape, believing to have foiled the creature's plan.

"Are you certain about that?" Said a voice from behind her that made her halt in her tracks. The velvety, rich tones were nothing like the pirate captain's, but oh, she was familiar with this voice.

"You don't get it, do you?" Said Emma scathingly, without turning around. "It won't work. I'm not that vulnerable."

Barely a ripple was made, the silence enveloping, yet when the voice spoke again, it was much closer.

"I disagree."

Emma stifled a shiver, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, swallowing hard. She felt the warmth of a body close to her back. She couldn't find anything to say.

Emma could only hear her own breathing and the pounding of her heart echoing in the eerie silence. She trembled.

"Face me, if you're so strong." Came the harsh, ghostly demand, whispering through Emma's hair.

Emma steeled herself and slowly turned on the spot. The water lapped at her legs, sending shockwaves of cold relief through her blood. She faced her enemy, sharp-eyed and scratchproof.

She was greeted with what she had been expecting, and yet her eyes still widened and her throat still clenched. Weather-worn skin had become flawless and smooth, black leather had become dark bejewelled velvet, short cropped hair had become a waterfall of chocolate curls, the moonlight shone off high cheekbones and full lips, glittering in obsidian eyes and thick lashes.

"It's such a shame, isn't it?" Her voice was like a caress, Emma's lips parted minutely.

"What is?"

"This." She tilted her head on one side, silken hair spilling over her shoulders. Her gown was intricate, regal, unfamiliar; fit for a queen.

Emma's stomach twisted, the scent of her was foreign but completely intoxicating; sharp and fresh and _magic_. The curves of her figure and the angles of her face were highlighted, almost ethereal, but undeniably recognisable.

"Wrong again." Emma said, but she lacked conviction, voice wavering.

Regina tilted her head back on her neck, observing Emma through narrowed eyes. She was so beautiful that Emma had to swallow _hard_ to stop her eyes from watering at the mere sight.

"Oh no, _this_ is more like it." Said Regina, smirking. "I can see it now. How very _interesting_..."

"You have no idea about anything-"

"Oh, but I _do_. I'm inside your head..." She moved closer, her lips curved upwards slightly, impossibly dark eyes glittering with a mixture of suggestion and malice. "And so, apparently, is _she_..." There was a spiteful delight in her silky voice.

"Well, you've managed to take a form that will annoy me sufficiently to drive me to punch you in the face..." Said Emma, but her eyes were darting in slight panic, from dark, hypnotic eyes to tempting lips.

Regina laughed, not a giggle like Ruby, but a rich chuckle that sounded positively sinful. "My my, you're more confused than I thought. Of course, she irritates you, but wow, the things in your head..." She trailed off, observing Emma's increasingly dumbfounded face with ardent curiosity.

"She is _truly_ stunning." Said Regina's impersonator, glancing down at herself appreciatively, having evidently deemed it more effective to stop pretending to be the real Queen. "One of the most beautiful I've ever been. I understand your interest..."

"I have no interest whatsoever in the uptight little-"

"Just empty words, I'm afraid." She hissed. "I'm there. Inside. I can see. Your desires are a complicated muddle of screaming and you really are doing _so_ well in blocking them out, but you can't do so forever."

Not a soul or sound stirred around them, as if the lake was entirely enclosed in a glass bubble of sorcery and mystery. Emma's thoughts were deafening, shouting at her as she looked upon what obviously was not Regina, and yet _was_ her. The confusion caused her temples to throb and her head to swim. Regina moved even closer, barely an inch between them, and Emma's mouth went dry.

"Don't hate yourself for it. It's natural, I suppose. There's certainly a lot of animosity there, but I wonder how much of it is genuine." Said the creature, using Regina's lips and Regina's voice.

Emma could only shake her head feebly at this point.

"Poor girl, so young and lost, adamant you know what you're doing, but can't even control your own mind. Naïve too, it appears. You dislike her and all she stands for and yet, you can't help yourself, can you? A beautiful face and a fiery temper and an exciting new prospect and you're all over the place. Well, it'll come to nought, I'm afraid. Look at her." Her eyes flicked down to her own stolen body, virtually pressed against the blonde's. "She's your opposite, she's _royalty_, she's important, so much so her husband's tearing the kingdom up just to get her back. What chance do you have?"

Emma swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she was trembling with the cold or anger or something else entirely. Regina ran a delicate fingertip over the skin of Emma's forearm. The path she traced tingled and fizzed through Emma's bloodstream and she tensed inadvertently.

"Well...you have _this_ chance..."

Emma's brain felt sluggish and clogged, her heart thumping. She swallowed thickly, hypnotised by the beckoning darkness of the moment. Keep a clear head, Swan, keep a clear head...

She gasped audibly, her mind running away with her as Regina leant forward, cool breath ghosting over Emma's neck, stirring wisps of blonde hair. She could feel the presence of lips by the shell of her ear and screwed green eyes shut momentarily.

"We both know I'm not her. I shan't insult your intelligence. But I _look_ like her...and isn't that all that matters?" The undertones of the speech were heady in a voice that Emma knew well by now. She appeared to have lost the ability of speech entirely.

"This is her voice...her face...her body...for all intents and purposes, I _am_ her...and if you truly have no chance with the real thing, which you don't, then this is a unique opportunity. Seize it." She whispered. Emma was swamped by her moonlit scent.

She shook her head. "You're a poor copy." She said with as much venom as she could muster with the other breathing down her neck in such a delightful way.

Regina chuckled, Emma practically winced. She pulled back to look at her and Emma wished she hadn't. She was a _perfect_ copy, right down to the faint scar above her upper lip.

"I am meticulous. Down to the very last detail..." She trailed off, glancing down at her gown, moulded to her slender figure, hugging every curve like molten wax. "Not that you'd be able to tell...Aren't you curious?"

"Lust will drive you mad, dear, it'll be a distraction, a disadvantage. I've revealed it to you now, and so you won't be able to stop it. You will spend the rest of this journey indisputably aware of it, of _her_, and it will be an inconvenience. It will push you to make a mistake, whatever form of mistake that may be."

Emma conceded this. She knew now, she _saw_ it. She had become conscious of the subconscious and it would get her killed. What serious harm could come of _this_...?

She drew herself into the present just as Regina moved so close that her lips hovered inches away from Emma's. "Take this chance. Seize this opportunity." Regina reached up to push Emma's hair away from her increasingly vacant face, hand resting against her cheek, tingling away against hot skin. Emma felt hypnotised, sucked into lightless eyes and flawless skin. She was almost certain there had been something she had needed to do...something important...

As the tangled mess of reality warped further, Emma closed her eyes, attempting to stop herself trembling. This wasn't real, of _course_ it wasn't, but that made it better. Desire marred judgement, and that would spell disaster for her. _One kiss_. _Just one_. Then she'd get whatever it was she'd come for and leave this poisonous vision behind her. She had to assuage this burning, and they were _her_ lips, it was _her_ body, so what did it matter what was inside? She was a victim of the age-old temptation of beauty that you cannot ignore, something so common and easily satisfied. It had nothing to do with the _person_ whom the creature was imitating.

She hadn't realised that she had drifted gratifyingly closer until the other woman's nose brushed hers in a gesture so horribly lustful that she inhaled shakily. Lips hovered a hairsbreadth away, welcoming, tempting. What chance did she have? What chance had she _ever_ had?

"Emma..." The sound of that voice caressing her name in the beautiful moonlit moment was too much. She teetered on the edge of two courses of action. She reached forward to run her fingers through perfect dark locks, feeling the silken texture slipping easily over her skin and hating, _hating_, the decision she'd come to.

The imposter gasped in a tiny breath that caught in her throat. Large, enigmatic eyes locked onto Emma's, wide and scared and confused. Emma's face remained neutral, as the brunette choked slightly and glanced downwards to where the hilt of a dagger was visible where Emma had buried the rest of it in the creature's stomach.

"You're not worth my weakness." Spat Emma, venom racing through tortured veins. She pulled out her dagger, dripping with shimmering black blood.

Regina's impersonator's breaths came out in rapid gasps as her punctured organs malfunctioned. She raised a delicate hand to the wound, watching with horror at the rate of blood pouring out, staining the fine material of her dress and seeping through fingers. She looked back up at Emma, tears spilling down pristine cheeks, anger burning in the impossible eyes, and Emma's throat closed up at the sight, her own eyes blurring slightly with tears.

_It's not her. It's not her._

The creature fell backwards, creating a disturbing splash in the calmness. Under the surface, Emma watched as features morphed into those unrecognisable: a woman; thin and elegant, with auburn hair and straight nose; beautiful, and _not_ Regina. Blood continued to leak from her wound, mingling with darkened waters. Emma quickly reached down and scooped up a flask full before it was entirely contaminated.

She waded out of the lake; thoroughly shaken, slightly melancholy. She glanced back at the water, but the body had inexplicably vanished, dragged to the hidden depths she supposed. She sighed deeply and pulled herself together, before heading back into the forest towards the _real_ Regina.

"You're alive!" Regina gasped and surged up from her seat on the floor, fire flickering away before her.

Emma entered the clearing without looking directly at the brunette.

"Yes I'm alive, princess. Have a little faith." She said without mirth. Regina frowned.

Emma headed straight for her satchel and pulled the remains of the map out, spreading it on the leaf-covered floor.

"Did you get it?!" Inquired the Queen, leaning over Emma's shoulder to get a better look.

"Yes I did." Answered Emma curtly, acutely aware of Regina's proximity.

Regina was slightly confused at this apparent and abrupt change in attitude, but had little time to contemplate it as Emma poured the contents of the flask over the charred parchment.

Both women held their breath and waited. Within moments, water had shimmered an ethereal blue colour, and they watched in awe as the parchment returned to its earlier colour, blackness disappearing and markings and lines reappearing.

"It worked!" Said Regina, clearly surprised.

"Yes it did." Smirked Emma triumphantly. Maybe the experience had been worth it after all...

She carried the map nearer the fire to better inspect it. Regina sat beside her, sensing that something was off-beat.

"What happened there?" She asked quietly.

Emma swallowed hard and remained staring straight at the map. "There was a lake. There was water. I got the water."

"Was there a monster?"

Emma could lie, but the story would highly unfeasible.

"Yes there was."

Regina waited in anticipation for an elaboration that never came.

"Well? What happened?"

Emma shrugged nonchalantly. "I killed it. It wasn't that ferocious. I'm sorry I was gone so long...I lost my way."

Regina frowned. _Emma losing her way in the woods?_

"What was the creature?" She asked.

Emma sighed quietly and slowly raised her eyes to Regina. A weight settled at the bottom of her stomach at the sight of distinctive, striking features, now warped with concern. She hoped this would not be as bad and inconvenient as she predicted it would be.

"A siren."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: So this chapter is super short, and I'm sorry I'm slowing down on the uploading front, but I have some pretty important exams coming up, plus I don't want to rush the next few chapters, so bear with me.**

**Stay strong Swen!**

**Please leave a review x**

**Chapter 19:**

In a forgotten and insignificant wing of a grand and dilapidated castle, the watery sunlight streamed into a small room. The dust dancing in and out of the beam swirled around a small wooden table with a hard bench pulled up to it. A small boy sat at the table, hunched over a bowl of thin soup, bony hands tipping the bowl to allow the lukewarm liquid to pour down his ravenous throat. He trembled slightly; the room was drafty, although he was used to the bite of the stale air.

As the door to the room creaked open, the boy jumped slightly and spun around to face the person entering. He trembled for an entirely different reason. He was not a sickly child, he was in adequate health, and his fair emaciation was only due to limited food. He was also not a cowardly child, so used to regular threats was he that he faced them with a tangible determination, but also a self-preserving sense of submission.

"I have a bone to pick with you." Said the intruder; small and wiry, scaled skin, a bone-chilling grin and wide, reptilian eyes.

The boy said nothing, merely looked on with complacency.

"You've been snooping around again." Accused the man, voice slimy and accusatory. "I told you, if you don't stay within your confinements, I'll keep you locked in this one room."

The boy stared back, swallowing hard.

"I was just..." His little voice trailed off.

"Just what?" Said the man, the tone of his voice was constantly teasing.

The boy mumbled to himself, looking down at skinny legs that dangled off the wooden bench. "Just wanted to..."

"Oh, I know exactly what you were looking for!" Exclaimed the man suddenly with an accompanying hand flourish. His fingers were thin and claw-like, and ended in long unkempt nails.

The boy averted wide, fearful eyes as the small man swaggered further into the room.

"Books!" He exclaimed in a voice so excitedly animated, it startled the boy. "On and on, books books books! You can't even read!"

A blush of fury swept across the boy's cheeks as he stared pointedly downwards, avoiding eye contact. The small man cackled piercingly.

"Oh, but you are _bored_! You think that you'd be able to teach yourself to read and you'll find some kind of happy ending therein. You think knowledge is power, you naïve little thing! Well, why would I want your grubby little hands on _any_ of my books, hmm?" He tormented.

The boy bit his tongue, balling tiny hands into fists. He blinked back tears with strict determination.

"Well, I have some news for you, dearie! You're never getting out of here! So what's the point in searching books for a way out when it would be futile?" He let out a sadistic giggle.

The boy raised his head for a fraction of a second and murmured something. The little man leapt forward, bending down to his level and feigning deafness, cupping a scaled hand to his ear.

"What was that, dearie?" His shrill, high-pitched voice echoed harshly off bare brick.

The boy raised his voice slightly. "I just wanted to see..."

The little man cackled again. "Well, in afraid that isn't going to happen! Never! This isn't a holiday, dearie. You aren't here to be schooled or pampered. You are here as a compromise, as a prisoner. You are here for the punishment of your wicked and deceitful mother, my dear. On _my_ terms under _my_ roof. You understand?" He half-hissed, half-laughed.

The boy nodded mutely, accepting defeat this time.

"Good!" He shouted, scampering back to the door and turning to gesture elaborately to the child. "If you do anything like that again, if I catch you _anywhere near _my library again, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove the privilege of sunlight." He said, waving his hand at the small widow.

"You don't want to go there again, do you?" He asked. The boy shook his head, tears rolling silently down soft, young cheeks.

"Well, an adventurous nature may actually have its advantages." He said happily, prancing forward again. The boy tensed immediately when the man got near.

Without any prior warning, a scaly hand plunged its way into the child's chest and tore out the still beating, gold-glowing heart, tiny and undeveloped. The look on the boy's face was a sad, scared look of one used to such an occurrence.

The man inspected the heart, huge eyes scrutinising its pure pink depths. "Yes, it glows more by the day. Perhaps a slightly defiant spirit is exactly what it will take. Still, far from ready." He said and casually thrust the organ back into the rapidly heaving chest. The boy clutched at his rib cage, readjusting to the returned warmth.

The man didn't give the boy a second glance before sauntering out of the door, slamming it shut with a final shout of "You'd better stay in there, dearie! Unless you want it out of your body permanently!"

As his footsteps echoed down the corridor outside, the boy pulled skinny legs up onto the bench, tight against his chest, and sobbed into his knees, rocking back and forth as if an invisible maternal force was doing it for him.


End file.
